


It's Only a Paper Moon

by Barkly



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Aged-Up Characters(s), Alternate Universe - Lawyers, Angst with a Happy Ending, Astronaut Reader, Astronauts, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Lawyer Iwaizumi, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Minor Hanamaki Takahiro/Matsukawa Issei, Multi, On Hiatus, Pining, Seijou as a law firm!AU, Slow Burn, eventual polyamory, lawyer oikawa, mostly on the Oikawa side of things
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-03
Updated: 2016-12-29
Packaged: 2018-07-28 23:57:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 41,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7662190
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Barkly/pseuds/Barkly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Hanamaki’s childhood friend is back in Japan for a limited time, he tries to set her up with one of his colleagues. To his surprise, Oikawa refuses, so Hanamaki manages to talk Iwaizumi into a blind date instead.</p><p>It’s a decision that Oikawa comes to regret very much.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fair warning to readers who are familiar with my stuff; you're going to have to wait on the smut a bit longer than you're used to with me! Enjoy the gross fluff in the meanwhile~
> 
> Another warning; despite the amount of research I've done, my grasp on how law firms work is still rudimentary at best.
> 
> Final warning I swear; due to the nature of this law firm's work, occasionally the vaguest of reference to child abuse/neglect might pop up. I didn't feel like it warranted a tag because I kept it incredibly vague on purpose and never go into specifics, but I do think it's fair to at least throw out a warning like this.

“Hey, Oikawa, you’re not seeing anyone now, right?”  
  
Oikawa slowly looked up from his lunch and stared at the smirking face of Hanamaki. He sneered at his colleague. “What, are you volunteering to fix that? Makki, you’re very cute but I’m not interested in your skinny ass.”  
  
Around them the cafeteria buzzed with the soft noise of people eating and chatting, welcoming a break from their work at Irihata Family Law. Some brought their own lunches, others were more than happy to take their pick from the company menu. Oikawa belonged to the latter, a half-full tray in front of him.  
  
“Oi, Mattsun, you hear that? Oikawa called my ass skinny!” Hanamaki shouted to a table behind them. “You gonna let him get away with that?”  
  
“I can beat him up for you after work, babe,” Matsukawa said, but he obviously had more interest in his food than protecting his boyfriend from any unflattering comments Oikawa might have made.  
  
Oikawa sighed and rested his chin in his hand. “What do you want, Makki?”  
  
The smirk on Hanamaki’s face widened. “Just wondering if you were interested in showing a friend of mine around the city. Maybe take her out to dinner, whatever it is you do to impress people on dates. She’s only back in Japan for a while because of her wor-”  
  
Quickly, Oikawa cut Hanamaki off. “Let me get this straight, you want me to take some random girl on a blind date?”  
  
“Not just any random girl! Honestly, she’s way better than you deserve.”  
  
“Oohh?” Oikawa drawled. “Do you hate her so much then, to set her up with the likes of me?” He was fully aware of his reputation around the firm as a superficial flirt, who flitted from one short-lived relationship to the next. A little unfair, Oikawa thought. He didn't burn through _that_ many people.  
  
Hanamaki glared at him. “Shut up. Anyway, she’ll only be here for two months then she has to go back to the-”  
  
Sighing heavily, Oikawa massaged his temples. “Makki, I’m not interested in a blind date. No, please don’t,” he said quickly, cutting Hanamaki off before he could continue, “don’t make me eat lunch back at my desk just to avoid you.”  
  
“Your loss,” Hanamaki said, holding up his hands in defeat. He slunk back to the other table, sitting down next to Matsukawa.  
  
Poking at his food, Oikawa glared at Hanamaki for putting him off his meal. Usually they got along fine, their banter simply a sign of how comfortable they were around each other. But this time the whole exchange left him with a sour taste in his mouth. He quickly forced down the remainder of his lunch and then paced back to the workroom.  
  
Most of the time his reputation as the office flirt did not bother him. After all, he loved playful banter and teasing his colleagues. But setting him up for an obvious fling just to keep a girl entertained for a while? So yes, okay, his last couple of relationships fizzled out quickly. And yes, true enough, he had not been particularly broken up about their ends - because even though every time he told himself that this one was different, deep down Oikawa already knew that it would not work out.  
  
When he entered his workroom, the reason for most of Oikawa's troubles frowned at him.  
  
“You’re back early.”  
  
“Aa~ahh, Iwa-chan, don’t give me that look!” Oikawa gave his coworker a cheeky smile and sat down at the desk opposite of him. His light-hearted expression did nothing to soften Iwaizumi’s disposition. With a flippant sigh, Oikawa logged into his computer and opened up his current case file.  
  
Iwaizumi rose an eyebrow when he realised what Oikawa was doing. “You do realise our break isn’t over for another fifteen minutes? Take it easy, would you? Don't make me kick your ass because you overworked yourself again.”  
  
Though a twinge of annoyance shot through Oikawa, he responded airily. “That's a little unfair, Iwa-chan, you've been working through half your breaks lately. Don't take the stress out on me~”

Apparently not in the mood for an argument, Iwaizumi just shrugged and finished the last of his meal. As though he wanted to prove Oikawa's point, his eyes were fixed on the computer screen as he ate. The sound of the soft crunch as he bit into an apple filled the otherwise quiet room.  
  
Oikawa's face twisted into a scowl as he stole a glance at Iwaizumi. This was never supposed to have happened. Iwaizumi Hajime was not a refined man. Not at all Oikawa’s type, with his gruff demeanour and lack of subtlety. Seriously, how had this happened?  
  
After they became roommates during law school, it took Oikawa a grand total of two weeks to fall like a brick for Iwaizumi. Most of the time, Oikawa was quite capable of keeping his feelings over a silly unrequited crush under control, but his mood had plummeted a while back when Iwaizumi and his girlfriend broke up - as long as he was committed to someone else, that was it. No use in speculating over meaningless what-ifs. Iwaizumi was taken and that was the end of it. Easy.  
  
Now he sat in front of Oikawa, available and yet he might as well be on another planet for all the difference it made.  
  
Five minutes before the end of lunch break, their new intern returned to the office. Kindaichi still was a bit of a nervous mess, constantly wiping his hands on his pants when he thought people were not looking, but he was a hard worker and eager to please.  
  
“Ah, Oikawa-san, Iwaizumi-san, should I get some coffee? We’ve emptied the pot, right?” he said, his words tumbling out too quickly, his smile too forced.  
  
Iwaizumi sighed and massaged his temple. “You know you don’t have to, right? You might be an intern, but that doesn’t mean it’s your job to do menial stuff like getting us coffee.” He spoke calmly, and while his intention might have been to reassure Kindaichi, the young man still just flushed and stood a little straighter.  
  
“No, sir. I mean yes, sir!”  
  
“And it’s fine to drop the ‘sir’, too!” Iwaizumi flushed a little at Kindaichi’s formality.  
  
Oikawa sighed at Iwaizumi’s misguided attempts to put the kid at ease. “Aahh, Kindaichi-kun~” he said, putting on his most winning smile. “I’d love some more coffee. Could you get cookies, too?”  
  
“Of course!”  
  
With that, Kindaichi disappeared from the office and Oikawa gave Iwaizumi a pointed look. “Iwa-chan, you’re too hard on the boy.”  
  
He bristled at that. “I’m too hard on him? Who’s the one making him get coffee! And snacks!”  
  
Oikawa shrugged. “It helps him feel more comfortable in the office. I think he likes having little specific tasks to do, even if they’re _menial_. If it makes him happier, what’s the harm? Besides, how is it not part of being an intern? Don't tell me you've forgotten those endless coffee runs already.”  
  
Before Iwaizumi could retort, Hanamaki sauntered into the office, exactly on time for the end of his break. He flopped down in his chair and swivelled around. Slowly he came to a halt, staring at Oikawa across the desk. “Soooo...”  
  
“Don’t even start,” Oikawa said, glaring back at Hanamaki.  
  
He shrugged and turned his chair a little further, facing Iwaizumi instead. The smirk on his lips made Iwaizumi raise an eyebrow. “Hanamaki, just what are you up to?”  
  
“Nothing! Damn, do all my co-workers have trust issues?”  
  
“Only when it comes to you,” Oikawa said, not even looking away from his computer screen as he read through an old witness statements.  
  
Hanamaki’s grin just widened and he shook his head. “I swear, it’s nothing shady. Just want to set up a dear friend of mine with a respectable colleague I can trust.”  
  
“That’s why you went to him first?” Iwaizumi snorted loudly. “Not interested, sorry.”  
  
“You don’t even want to hear about her?” Hanamaki slid his chair closer to Iwaizumi “Seriously, she's awesome and only back in the country for a while. It’d be great if someone could show her around the city before-”  
  
“No.”  
  
“Come ooon, you haven’t been back in the field since it ended with Kiyoko, right?”  
  
Iwaizumi just scowled at him.  
  
“Makki, I would just give it up if I were you,” Oikawa drawled. “It’s not like Iwa-chan knows how to have fun, there’s no way he’ll ever agree to this.”  
  
A silence fell in the room as Iwaizumi redirected his glare at Oikawa. Just as he opened his mouth to reply, he was cut off by Kindaichi’s return with hot coffee and a roll of cookies. “Freshly made coffee, Oikawa-san!”  
  
Kindaichi blinked when he realised he had interrupted something, the corner of his lips twitching nervously. The look Iwaizumi gave Oikawa was sharp, as though someone risked cutting themselves just by standing between them. On the other hand, Oikawa’s smile was easygoing and feigning innocence. Truly, out of all the people in the law firm, Iwaizumi was the most fun to rile up.  
  
Eyes narrowing, Iwaizumi finally looked away and turned to Hanamaki instead. “Fine.”  
  
“Eh?”  
  
“Fine, I’ll do it. I’ll go out with your friend.”  
  
Disbelief slowly transformed into a huge grin, and Hanamaki laughed as he clapped Iwaizumi on the back. “Awesome! I promise you won’t regret it!”  
  
Oikawa needed a full second to recover and hide the shock on his face. Honestly, he could smack himself on the head for this. After bunking together for so many years, Oikawa knew exactly how to push Iwaizumi’s buttons and get the desired response. He should have known his teasing would cause this reaction. He stayed silent while Kindaichi poured coffee, who finally relaxed again now he had a clear-cut job to do. Quietly, Oikawa listened to how Hanamaki ensured Iwaizumi he’d arrange the time and place, “just let me know what days work for you, okay?”  
  
Was this a good thing?  
  
Things were easier for him when Iwaizumi was in a committed relationship, right? Oikawa swallowed and tried to continue reading the case file, but the words blurred before his eyes and he quickly took a big sip from the fresh coffee, instead. Almost burning his tongue was worth the caffeine hit that shook up his brain and brought back his focus. He ignored Kindaichi’s question of what was going on, zoned out when Hanamaki proudly explained that he got Iwaizumi a date with the coolest chick in the world.  
  
Yes, this was probably a good thing.  
  
If they hit it off and Iwaizumi became unavailable again, Oikawa would finally have to admit this was going nowhere. He could totally do that.  
  
This was going to be fine.

* * *

  
“Hmm, how was your day, babe?” Matsukawa asked when Hanamaki came up from behind and wrapped his arms around him. He closed his eyes and exhaled softly when Hanamaki nuzzled his neck, their hands finding each other. “Did you manage to talk Oikawa into that date?” They were the only people in the workroom; Yahaba and Kyoutani had left a bit earlier, and Kunimi never stayed a minute longer than he was required to, unwilling to spend more energy than strictly necessary.  
  
Hanamaki let out a tired groan against Matsukawa’s skin. “Actually, it’s going to be Iwaizumi.”  
  
Frowning, Matsukawa turned around. “Seriously? How did you manage that?” His brow furrowed deeper when Hanamaki simply shrugged. “Hey, what’s wrong? You got her a date, that’s a good thing, right?"  
  
“Yeah but... it’s just... nobody even let me finish my pitch,” Hanamaki muttered, leaning his forehead on Matsukawa’s shoulder.  
  
Matsukawa chuckled, but angled his head to press a soft kiss on the back of Hanamaki’s head. “After all those times I had to listen to you practise it? I really ought to kick their asses one of these days, with all the hardship they put you through.” Empty threats, as always, and they both knew it. If only because they both knew Matsukawa couldn't take Iwaizumi.  
  
“You really should.” A short pause. “But wait until their date before you beat up Iwaizumi. I put too much effort into making that happen.”  
  
“Whatever you want, Takahiro. Come, let’s go home.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


	2. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd apologise for the gross self-indulgent mush in this chapter but.. let's face it, who am I kidding? NOT SORRY. However, this chapter is a little on the short side compared to the others I have planned out and FOR THAT I DO APOLOGISE

Iwaizumi wiped his hands on his trousers before bringing them up to the collar of his shirt, fiddling with the buttons. Too formal, he thought, undoing the top button. No, wait, was this too casual? He quickly closed it up again. But dammit, now breathing became too difficult. For fuck’s sake, why was his own body turning against him tonight?  
  
He cursed himself for being too early, for putting himself in a situation where he couldn’t do anything but wait. His hands pulled at his clothes again. Realising how anxious and ridiculous he must look, he forced his hands on the table and instead readjusted the book he brought (he was far too restless to read now). Every time the door to the restaurant opened his head shot up, but so far no woman around his age arrived alone. A waiter gave him a sympathetic look and asked if he wanted to order, but Iwaizumi declined. You still had time, it was not seven o’clock yet.  
  
Just as Iwaizumi started to worry that you pulled the feared ‘peeked through the window and ran away screaming’-deal on him, a young woman with a small notebook tucked underneath her arm walked inside.  
  
No doubt about it; this had to be you. You brought the book and matched Hanamaki’s overall description. A little smile appeared on your face when you locked eyes with Iwaizumi. He tried to swallow the small rock lodged in his throat as you walked over to him. Of course Hanamaki had spoken about you with nothing but praise, but with Makki it was also safer to assume he oversold you. As it turned out, he definitely had not. If anything, you were far more radiant than Hanamaki had made you out to be. Your dress was on the fancy side and flattered your body, with a neckline low enough to tease just a little bit. There were some visible nerves on your face, but warmth shone through your smile along with a sense of anticipation. It took quite a bit of Iwaizumi’s self-control to stop himself from gaping.  
  
“Iwaizumi Hajime?”  
  
You stood in front of him now, one hand clutching your notebook, the other tucking a strand of hair behind your ear.  
  
He stumbled a little as he stood upright, almost knocking his knees against the table. Dammit, why was he so awkward right now? However, your smile widened as you exhaled, and some of the tension seemed to drain out of your shoulders. Iwaizumi’s voice came came out gruffer than usual when he said your name in a questioning tone. He winced at his own unfriendliness. However, you grinned and just shook his hand. “That’s me!”  
  
After the initial startle faded away of being greeted with a handshake instead of a bow, the first thing Iwaizumi noticed was the callus on your hands. The second was your firm grip. Some of his surprise must have shown on his face, because your eyes widened and you let go with a jolt.  
  
“Aahh, sorry, sometimes I forget I’m back home!” Visibly embarrassed, you rubbed the back of your head and then bowed lightly to him. “Shaking off American habits is harder than I thought it'd be!”  
  
“D- don’t worry about it,” Iwaizumi said, and held your chair so you could sit down.  
  
His chivalrous gesture seemed to help you relax and you chuckled. “Such a gentleman! I can’t believe Makki has friends this polite.” The corner of your mouth curled upwards when you saw Iwaizumi turn red. Quickly he sat down and cleared his throat, again tugging at his collar.  
  
A moment of silence stretched between you, Iwaizumi trying to calm his nerves while you studied him curiously.  
  
Quietly he scolded himself. Really, there was no reason for him to be this anxious. There were no expectations; you wouldn’t even be in the country for long! No expectations, except to just make sure you didn’t have a horrible time tonight.  
  
...which meant this silence really should be broken soon.  
  
Iwaizumi forced himself to make eye-contact with you and swallowed thickly. “You look really good,” he said, and wanted to kick himself right away. Great job, Iwaizumi, now you were going to think he was shallow instead of actually interested in you as a person. “Uhm, I mean-” he started to correct himself, but you broke out into a smile.  
  
“Oh good, I was so worried I'd be overdressed! Makki helped me pick out the dress and he goes overboard sometimes.” A glint appeared in your eyes, a mischievous spark that reminded Iwaizumi so much of Hanamaki that he wondered if you really weren’t related. “You don’t look too bad, either.”  
  
He could feel the blush creep up his ears and roughly cleared his throat, looking for a way to smoothly change the subject. “So, Hanamaki said you’re only back in Japan for a while? Where do you work?”  
  
You frowned and for one long moment Iwaizumi worried he had somehow managed to step on a conversational landmine. Shit, was your work a sensitive topic? Why hadn’t Hanamaki warned him about this, dammit? “Wait, wait,” you said, holding up your hands, “Makki didn’t tell you about my job?”  
  
“No, should he have?”  
  
A giggle escaped your lips, a light sound that somehow relaxed him. “No no, it’s just,” you paused, an abashed smile on your face, “Makki teased me that he’d use it as his ‘big selling point’ to set this up, so I’m just surprised you don't know already.” You were about to continue, but got interrupted by the waiter, who brought menus and took orders for drinks. When he left again, Iwaizumi still gave you a curious look.  
  
“Uhm, can I ask you what it is?” By now he couldn’t help but wonder what kind of work you did - and when your cheeks flushed red, Iwaizumi was all but convinced it was something embarrassing and he definitely should _not_ have asked.  
  
Then you managed to step over your fluster and grinned at him. “Well, you see, my work is pretty awesome.” You dropped a meaningful pause for effect, your grin widening. “You could even say it’s... out of this world.”  
  
The way you chuckled at your own private joke made Iwaizumi’s heart clench, but at the same time his brow furrowed in confusion. What was that supposed to mean? Silence fell. You coughed when you realised the awkward moment you had created, cheeks burning but quickly moving the conversation along. “I work for NASA.”  
  
His eyes widened as Iwaizumi stared at you in disbelief. The dots connected and realisation hit him like a brick. “W- wait are you-”  
  
You grinned sheepishly. “A couple of months from now, I’ll be at the International Space Station.”  
  
This time Iwaizumi really could not stop himself from gaping. It took a minute to fully sink into his brain; he was sitting in front of a real life astronaut? Someone who was going into actual _space_? For a moment he only thought about how Oikawa would be kicking himself once got wind of this; he was notorious around the office for his obsession with anything related to space. Then Iwaizumi shook his head and told himself not to think about his colleague during a date. “That’s... amazing,” he said, feeling lame for not having a more interesting response.  
  
You grimaced and rubbed the back of your head, obviously feeling self-conscious from Iwaizumi’s reaction. “Now I kind of wished Makki had told you already. It’s really not that big a deal, I’m pretty normal.”  
  
Even ignoring your occupation, Iwaizumi had a hard time believing that. You seemed interesting enough on your own. He told you so and you laughed again, though there was still a self-conscious edge to your voice. “But we don’t have to talk about your work,” Iwaizumi said, suspecting that you might feel more comfortable if he steered away from the subject. “What do you want to do in Japan while you’re here?”  
  
Your eyes lit up and Iwaizumi instantly knew he had struck conversational gold. Favourite restaurants, zoos, parks, the beach; an endless list of locations to go. At your prompting, Iwaizumi told you about the things he would do if he knew he’d be leaving Japan for an extended period of time, like visiting the lake where his dad taught him how to fish and the theme park he used to go as a kid. You listened so intently it threatened to make him blush again. “Wait, do you mind if I write some of these down?” you asked, and gestured at the notebook you had brought for identification. “This is good stuff!”  
  
“Uhm, sure.”  
  
Iwaizumi realised with a start that he had relaxed completely. Your voice was animated and almost hypnotising, and reminiscing about the spots in the city that held his fondest memories made him feel at ease. He found out that Makki and you were childhood friends when you told him of play-dates at the zoo. He also realised you did not mention any family for your plans in Japan, but did not want to pry on a first date.  
  
...Or at least he hoped this was the first, not the only date. Iwaizumi inwardly cursed himself for turning his thoughts to that subject. Absolutely no use in worrying about that now. Just stay relaxed.  
  
The meal had come and gone. Iwaizumi barely remembered what he ate, but it must have been good because he did remember the little noises of contentment you made while eating and wistfully saying you wouldn’t mind coming back here again.  
  
When the waiter asked about desert, a meaningful look was exchanged. You grimaced and rubbed your stomach. “I’d love something but I ate so much already,” you lamented with a sigh. “But Mattsun wouldn’t stop talking about the chocolate cake here. Urrgghhh..”  
  
Some might have considered the conflicted noise that you made unrefined, but it just made Iwaizumi smile to see you so intense about a dessert. “I’m okay with sharing if you are,” he blurted out before thinking it through, before remembering that some people considered sharing food quite intimate. To his relief, a smile broke out on your face, a smile that he was growing fond of at an alarming rate.  
  
“Great, let’s do it!”  
  
With one small plate and a fork for each, Iwaizumi purposefully ate very slowly, hoping it would encourage you to take more. He also insisted you got the strawberry. He had a feeling that you saw through his little scheme, only taking tiny bites and often pausing to just saviour the delicious taste. Meanwhile Iwaizumi managed to draw some embarrassing childhood stories starring Hanamaki out of you, and he was pleased to get some ammunition for at the office. You raved about the cake and how you’d have to thank Matsukawa for the recommendation. The dessert was long gone but neither of you made a move to leave the restaurant until Iwaizumi sheepishly realised it was almost empty. There was a short discussion over the bill, Iwaizumi wanting to pay like the gentleman his father raised him to be, you insisting it was nonsense and outdated. You won in the end, grinning as you paid your half of the bill.  
  
Outside it was getting chilly, but both of you had brought light jackets so it was no issue. Iwaizumi put his hands in his pockets, trying to stop himself from glancing at your hand swinging lightly next to him. Honestly, it was embarrassing how much he felt as though he had been thrust straight back into high school, an awkward kid who didn’t know how to handle himself around a girl as endearing as you.  
  
A silence settled between you as he walked you to the train station. You had insisted he did not need to escort you further than that, especially since your house was right by the stop. A part of Iwaizumi wanted to protest, but he kept quiet for two reasons. One; it was a little insulting to imply that a trained astronaut could not take care of herself. Two; Iwaizumi did not intend to become the creepy guy who didn’t let a woman leave his company at the moment of her choosing.  
  
When you reached the station, you dragged your feet a little, as though trying to delay the moment of farewell, but finally came to a halt. “I had a really good time tonight,” you said, then bit your lip. There was a disconnect between your words and tone that suddenly had Iwaizumi very worried.  
  
Had the evening been so one-sided? Was he the only one who had enjoyed himself so much? Had he imagined the relaxed way you talked to him about all your plans and memories? He tensed up and clenched his fists, hidden in his pockets. “I did, too,” he said, trying to keep his voice casual. “A great time.”  
  
You opened your mouth, then hesitated. After taking a deep breath to gather yourself, you managed to speak again. “Uhm, I would love to see you again but,” - another deep breath - “I totally get it if you don’t want to. I mean, I’m only here for two months and I don’t want you to feel pressured or like you need to make a big investment or something. So you can be honest-”  
  
“Why the hell wouldn’t I want to see you again?”  
  
It came out louder and more coarse than he intended, and Iwaizumi inwardly scolded himself. He stepped closer to you, hands reaching up to hold your shoulders but at the last moment he held himself back, letting his arms drop down beside him.  
  
“Look, tonight was great. Who wouldn’t want to see you again after an evening like this?”  
  
He remembered the way your laugh made his chest tighten, your voice filled with passion as you talked about your plans, that mischievous sparkle in your eyes when you grinned at him. Iwaizumi felt like tonight he had only seen the tip of the iceberg when it came down to getting to know you, but _dammit_ , he wanted more.  
  
Your eyes widened and you stared at him as though you could not comprehend his words, and Iwaizumi felt flabbergasted at how a person like you could be insecure about this. He noticed how your eyes momentarily flickered down to his lips, how your hands made a short motion to reach out to him, but then you hesitated.  
  
If there ever was a moment to take a chance, Iwaizumi thought, this was it. He cupped your cheek in his hand and you leaned into his touch, eyes momentarily fluttering shut but then opening again to gaze into his. Your lips parted and he could feel your breath puff against his skin, suddenly very close. You gave an almost imperceivable nod that he might have imagined.  
  
Imagined or not, you still flung your arms around his shoulders when he crashed his mouth against yours.  
  
Iwaizumi’s free hand pressed to the small of your back, bringing you even closer to him. You let out a happy sound and tangled your fingers in his short hair, massaging his scalp. Iwaizumi couldn’t help but moan. You tasted of bitter chocolate and strawberry sweetness and he could not get enough of you. His thumb brushed over your cheekbone, then his hand slipped to the base of your neck. Your lips moved against him with vigour and he threatened to drown, his head spinning.  
  
With a tinge of regret he pulled away, realising he needed to stop or risk losing control of himself. He did not want to lose control, not with you. Out of breath, you stared at him with dilated pupils, looking slightly shell-shocked. “So... we’ll do this again soon?” Iwaizumi asked, trying very hard not to sound desperate.  
  
A smirk crept onto your lips, bruised from the kiss. “Yes, I think we should,” you said, removing your hands from Iwaizumi’s hair with a deliberate movement, your fingers brushing against his neck. He shivered, which only seemed to please you more. “Makki gave you my number, right?”  
  
He nodded numbly. The arrival of the train broke him out of his little bubble, in which nothing existed but you and him. You gave him a final grin when you hurried to the platform, and turned around to wink just before you stepped into the cart.  
  
Iwaizumi couldn’t do anything but wave, and he was sure he made an embarrassing sight; a grown man nailed to the ground by how thunderstruck he was by you.  
  
Dammit - he’d actually have to thank Makki for this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you so much for reading! <3


	3. Chapter 2

Unlike most people, Oikawa had no problem with going back to work on Mondays. While some (fine, all) people might accuse him of being a workaholic, Oikawa just considered himself lucky to have a job he enjoyed going back to every week. He had not breezed through law school like certain peers, instead putting in years of hard work and endless nights of cramming, and to finally be in a place that brought him to the court room was insanely rewarding - even if he was just an associate for now.  
  
As always he was the first one in the office, and went to get some coffee while the computer started up. By the time he got back, Iwaizumi had arrived, looking like he could really use a dose of caffeine too. Often Kindaichi would be the second to come in, but on Mondays he’d be at the university.  
  
“Good morning, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said, putting a cup of coffee in front of his colleague.  
  
Iwaizumi grumbled something back that vaguely sounded like “good morning” and took a large gulp that must have been far too hot to drink. He winced and scowled at the cup like it had personally offended him, then he glanced at Oikawa. “Thanks.”  
  
Part of Oikawa wanted nothing more than to fish for information about Iwaizumi’s date last Friday, but he controlled his nosy urges (at least let Iwa-chan finish his first cup of coffee, he told himself). Iwaizumi didn’t look particularly happy, but that said nothing on an early Monday morning. Besides, Oikawa still couldn’t figure out whether a successful date counted as good or bad news in his book. If the date had bombed, that meant Iwaizumi would be unhappy and that’s not what Oikawa wanted for him. But if this date led to more, that meant Iwaizumi might not be single anymore soon and that’s not what Oikawa wanted, either.  
  
In the end Oikawa just had to admit to himself that he simply could not win when it came to Iwaizumi.  
  
He opened up his case file and sighed. There was a lot of fact-checking he needed to do before he could form a proper picture of what had happened, and it looked like it was going to be an absolute monster to do. Cracking his knuckles (Iwaizumi twitched), Oikawa set to work. A small voice in the back of his head reminded him that this was exactly the kind of thing he could ask Kindaichi or Hanamaki to help with. However, he reasoned that Hanamaki had his own work to do, and it could not wait until tomorrow. Nothing ever could.  
  
Oikawa ignored the louder voice in his head that told him he was being a control-freak and straight on the path to overworking himself again. The voice sounded a little like Iwaizumi, which only pissed Oikawa off.  
  
Whistling happily, Hanamaki sauntered into the office. As always, he was a disgustingly cheery morning person. He turned on his computer and got a cup of coffee, then leaned against the wall next to Iwaizumi’s desk. “Sooo...” He grinned at Iwaizumi, looking particularly pleased with himself. “How did it go?”  
  
Iwaizumi grunted and barely looked up from his screen, reading intently. “You know already, right?”  
  
“Aw no, she refuses to tell me anything. And hey, that means it went well, but as the matchmaker I think I should be privy to the nasty details.”  
  
Though he tried not to be obvious in his eavesdropping, Oikawa’s reading had slowed down to a crawl. His eyes travelled over the screen, looking at the words but not processing them, instead listening intently to the conversation on the opposite side of his desk.  
  
“No,” Iwaizumi said bluntly. “Don’t you have any actual work to do?”  
  
Hanamaki shrugged and sat down in his chair. “Fine. Be that way. But just so you know, if you ever need relationship advice you’ll have to pay for it with the juiciest details.”  
  
To Oikawa’s surprise, Iwaizumi leaned away from his screen and grinned at Hanamaki, rather than simply ignoring him. “Relationship advice, from you?” He scoffed. “After what happened to you with that girl in middle school? I don’t think so.”  
  
Hanamaki blanched and made a startled movement. “She told you about that? That traitor!” He hissed the last words to himself, eyes narrowing.  
  
“Wait wait, what’s this?” Oikawa said, unable to keep himself quiet any longer. He smiled amicably and leaned forward, resting his chin on the knuckles of his hand. “Please elaborate, Iwa-chan~”  
  
Frantically, Hanamaki gestured at Iwaizumi to keep quiet. A slow smirk formed on Iwaizumi’s lips. “I think I will keep it to myself... for now.”  
  
“You little shit,” Hanamaki said through gritted teeth, his jaw tightly clenched. “I thought blackmailing wasn’t your style.”  
  
Put-off at being left out of the loop, Oikawa scowled and reminded them to get back to work before Iwaizumi could respond. They fell into their comfortable routine, occasionally chatting about some random subject or a work thing. As their resident paralegal, Hanamaki worked closely with Iwaizumi on their current case, taking the relevant information that Iwaizumi gathered and cross referencing it with various laws, checking how it gave them legal ground to prosecute. Late in the morning Matsukawa wandered in under the pretence of borrowing a stapler, but Oikawa was willing to bet a kidney that Mattsun had grabbed Hanamaki’s ass at some point.  
  
The closer they got to lunch, the more Hanamaki’s concentration started to wander, as usual. Oikawa could easily ignore him as he fiddled with a pencil or played around with an elastic band. More distracting was Iwaizumi; he was restless, shifting in his seat and obviously not working any more, even though he kept his eyes on the screen. Not as usual. Iwaizumi’s ability to focus almost rivalled Oikawa’s own and this dissonance stood out.  
  
Oikawa rose an eyebrow, debating whether to say something or not. On one hand; perhaps there was a chance to tease Iwaizumi. On the other hand; Oikawa had a _lot_ of work to get finished, and he really wanted to get this particular bit sorted out before lunch. He reread the parents’ statements for what felt like the millionth time, carefully taking note of the inconsistencies in their story. Someone definitely was not being entirely truthful.  
  
Focusing on work made it easy for Oikawa to let the time pass by unnoticed. It wasn’t until someone knocked on the door that he realised lunchtime had officially begun.  
  
Iwaizumi’s head snapped up and a big smile appeared on his face, one that made something in Oikawa’s stomach pinch. He followed Iwaizumi’s gaze, and then his eyes widened. You stood in the doorway, dressed in casual light clothes suited to the warm weather, waving at Iwaizumi with a shy smile. However, your expression changed to something more sinister when you walked up to Hanamaki.  
  
“Hey squirt, what the hell are you doing here-NGH!”  
  
Hanamaki let out a startled sound when you caught him in a headlock and rubbed your knuckle into his scalp. “Good to see you too, Makki,” you said, grinning down on him while he pulled on your arm and tried to wrestle out of your grip. “This place is so fancy, I can’t believe you never showed me around here before! How did you ever get hired? Did you trick them?”  
  
You released him and he rubbed his head, milking his hurt expression for all that it was worth. “Cruel. This is why I never take you anywhere.”  
  
Oikawa still could do nothing but stare while you let out a melodic burst of laughter. Luckily, Iwaizumi was too similarly distracted by you to notice. You smiled sheepishly at him. “Are you ready to go?”  
  
Recovering quickly, Iwaizumi smiled back at you. “Just give me a second to finish up.”  
  
“Sure.” Your eyes wandered around the office and then, to his utter horror, settled on Oikawa. “Ah, sorry for barging in like this!” You quickly introduced yourself to him, but Oikawa could only nod dumbly. His inability to stop gaping left you flustered, a red tint staining your cheeks.  
  
Hanamaki rose an eyebrow. “Oi, Oikawa, stop being a creep.”  
  
That was enough to jolt him out of it. “It’s lovely to meet you, I’m Oikawa Tooru,” he said, trying to sound smooth but failing. “Sorry, it’s just that I’m a big fan.”  
  
You blinked at him. “A- a fan? Oohh, did Makki tell you about me?” A wide grin crossed your face as you looked at Hanamaki. “I knew you couldn’t keep your mouth shut.”  
  
How could Oikawa not know you? He wanted to kick himself for not connecting the dots sooner, for not realising that when Hanamaki told him your name, he was talking about _you_. Oikawa always closely followed updates about the ISS and its crews, and the addition of a Japanese astronaut to the roster always caught his eye. His stomach was jumping through hoops, while his cheeks heated up to dangerous temperatures.  
  
“N- no, I just-” he struggled to complete the sentence.  
  
“-am really fucking obsessed with space,” Hanamaki not-so-helpfully finished for him.  
  
Oikawa shot him a Look, then turned back to you. A flirty joke balanced on the tip of his tongue to deflect the fluster running through him, a comment about discovering a heavenly body or perhaps invite you to fly him to the moon. But before he could even open his mouth, Oikawa was suddenly aware of Iwaizumi’s glare on him, and of Hanamaki cracking his knuckles as a silent warning. No messing around with this one, was the clear message.  
  
An awkward silence filled the room, but thankfully Iwaizumi finished up moments later and glared at Oikawa one final time as he left with you for lunch, ignoring Hanamaki’s shout to “be safe, kids”.  
  
As soon as Oikawa was sure they were out of earshot, he turned to Hanamaki and exploded.  
  
“How could you not tell me she’s _that_ (Name)?” he cried out, fingers twitching as he lifted his hands to his chest.  
  
“I tried to tell you,” Hanamaki said with a shrug, turning back to his computer. When an involuntary noise of frustration escaped Oikawa, Hanamaki smirked, all teeth and smugness. He leaned his elbow on the desk and rested his chin on the heel of his hand. “Oh? Jealous now? Honestly, you deserve it for not letting me finish the beautiful pitch I had prepared. There were some fine puns in there, too.”  
  
Oikawa tsked and tried to keep the scowl off his face. “Since when do you know an astronaut anyway? Did you go to school together or something?”  
  
Hanamaki let out a low whistle. “So now you want to know all about her? I’m sorry, buddy, you weren’t interested in her before so I really don’t see why I should tell you now.” Quickly finishing up a last bit of work, he stood up and left the office to have lunch with Matsukawa. He paused at the doorway and gave Oikawa a final grin. “Hey Oikawa, if I didn’t know any better I’d say you look a little... starstruck.”  
  
Grumbling all the way through his lunch, Oikawa could feel his mood getting worse and worse. Today he worked through his meal, barely tasting the food as he took absentminded bites. He didn’t even notice Hanamaki’s return, who loomed behind him and watched him work for a minute before speaking up.  
  
“Oikawa, why don’t you let Kindaichi do this grunt work?” he said, frowning at the legal research Oikawa was doing to check a couple of specifics in various laws. “You’re not overworking yourself again, are you?”  
  
Carefully keeping his expression neutral, Oikawa exhaled slowly. Then he turned to Hanamaki with a carefree smile. “Makki, did you forget~? Kindaichi is not here today.” He considered the discussion to be done with those words, and turned back to his work.  
  
“Ehhh?” Hanamaki leaned over Oikawa’s shoulder to examine it a little closer. “But it’s no problem to leave this until tomorrow, right? There’s plenty of other stuff to do. Or you could just ask me.” He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I know I give you a hard time, but it is part of my job to help you, you know.”  
  
Oikawa shook his head. “Aren’t you helping Iwa-chan?”  
  
He shrugged. “He’s a big boy, he can handle things without me for a bit.”  
  
“...I’ll think about it.”  
  
Hanamaki chuckled. “Iwaizumi would be proud,” he said, pretending to wipe away a single tear.  
  
Glancing at the clock, Oikawa frowned. “Speaking of Iwa-chan, he is late.”  
  
“Relax, he’ll get back here. I promise, she's not the type to kidnap and violently murder someone, even if it was a crappy date.” He sauntered back to his own seat and plopped down. “Let me know if you want me to help you out, okay?”  
  
Before Oikawa could respond, Iwaizumi walked through the doorway, now a full two minutes late. You didn’t accompany him, but instead he brought an absent-minded smile with him.  
  
Hanamaki clucked his tongue. “If I had known she’d be such a bad influence I’d never have introduced you two.”  
  
Not rising to the bait, Iwaizumi just chuckled and got back to work, his mood too good to let himself be goaded. Hanamaki opened his mouth again, but Iwaizumi cut him off before he got a chance to speak. “No, you’re not getting any of the dirty details.”  
  
Hanamaki muttered a soft curse about no-fun coworkers and turned back to his computer. The time for banter was over and they continued to work. Still, despite the distractions Oikawa's mood got increasingly worse, grating over Iwaizumi’s happy disposition.  
  
Why did he feel so much worse this time? It wasn't the first time Oikawa had witnessed the start of Iwaizumi's new relationship, and though that had been hard on him, he still managed to keep his cool and just accept what was happening. Shit, had his feelings become stronger? Or was he simply pissed off over the fact Iwaizumi was dating a woman who pretty much was one of Oikawa's idols?  
  
He stared at his screen, meticulously going through the details of a particularly obscure law about children’s rights, but quickly realised he was not taking in a single word. With a deep sigh, Oikawa faced the facts; it was time to get over himself.  
  
“Makki, if you have a moment, could you help me out with something?”  
  
Honestly, the way Iwaizumi’s eyebrows almost rose all the way to his hairline was a little insulting. But Hanamaki just grinned, and told him he’d be right there with no snide comment attached. “Okay, what do you need me for?” he said when he was ready, and listened intently to Oikawa’s explanation. “On it.”  
  
Oikawa hated to admit it, but with Hanamaki taking away some of the load, his process became much smoother and he could focus on other things without getting caught up in the details. He got lost in the work, in the witness statements and making notations of questions to ask, gaps in the story to fill. It would need a quick run-through with Irihata, his superior, but Oikawa now felt confident that he was properly prepared to schedule a meeting with the parents. He really needed to talk to them about these conflicting witness statements.  
  
“Aren’t you coming, Oikawa?”  
  
Iwaizumi’s voice shocked Oikawa out of his concentration. He blinked a couple of times, then looked at the time and realised it was already fifteen minutes past their official work hours. Somehow, Hanamaki had left without Oikawa noticing. He’d be surprised, except this wasn’t the first time it happened. It was not rudeness on Hanamaki’s end, just Oikawa losing awareness of his surroundings. Iwaizumi was all ready to go too, his briefcase packed and wearing a light jacket.  
  
“In a minute,” Oikawa said, waving an absent-minded hand as though to send him on his way.  
  
Sighing, Iwaizumi sat back down and stared at Oikawa. “How long did you stay last time?” He rested his forearms on the desk, leaning forward. “Don’t fall back into old habits, okay?”  
  
Oikawa huffed, pretending as though he had not fully intended to stay for however long his concentration lasted. “I was just going to finish up this email to Irihata, don’t fuss so much.” He continued to weed out the correct files to attach, double-checking everything for stray spelling errors.  
  
Not at all reassured by Oikawa’s words, Iwaizumi stayed in his seat. He would probably wait until the email was send and Oikawa walked out the door with him. The realisation made Oikawa scowl inwardly. He wanted to hate getting fussed over by Iwaizumi, but in all honesty he liked the attention. It reminded him of late nights at the university library, when he’d get forcibly dragged back to their dorm room for some sleep or was physically kicked outside to get fresh air.  
  
“Iwa-chan, you’re such a mom,” Oikawa complained dramatically, then did a final check of the email before sending it.  
  
“It’s not my fault you’re an oversized toddler, Shittykawa.”  
  
Oikawa had to fight back a smile. By now he knew Iwaizumi well enough to realise he often brought out the insults when he was about to feel more embarrassed than annoyed, and they held no sting. Outwardly, Oikawa whined. “So mean, Iwa-chan~” He held up his fingers in a peace-sign and closed one eye. “Done!”  
  
“Let’s go then,” Iwaizumi said, standing back up.  
  
“Ok, ok.”  
  
Quickly gathering his things, Oikawa let out a sigh. He couldn’t figure out if he wanted to thank or curse Iwaizumi for watching out for him. As good a friend as Iwaizumi was, it also made Oikawa’s stomach twist into tight knots, reminding him of what their relationship was not. They stepped into the elevator together, alone in the small enclosed space. For a moment there was just the quiet familiar melody, a soft smooth jazz that was surprisingly pleasant to the ear for elevator music.  
  
“So... lunch went well?”  
  
The question was asked in innocence, but Iwaizumi still gave him a suspicious look. “Why do you want to know? Don’t tell me you’re interested 0in her now you know who she is.”  
  
“I wouldn’t steal a girl away from Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said, tilting up his chin with a huff. “I can’t believe you think I’m that desperate.”  
  
However, he could not exactly deny Iwaizumi’s accusation. He had a minor celebrity crush on you for a while now, ever since you were announced as a member for the next rotation of the ISS crew.  
  
But Oikawa was also fully aware he did not actually have a crush on _you_ , just the idea around you, the you that was about to go into space and involved in all these awesome things that Oikawa loved. He did not actually know you, not as a person. The fluttering feeling you gave in his chest was even more superficial than his past attempts at a relationship.  
  
He said nothing of this to Iwaizumi, just quietly hoping you would not drop over at work too often. No, he did not know you, and Oikawa suspected it was better if it stayed that way.

* * *

That following Thursday morning, all of them were even busier than before. Oikawa’s meeting with the parents had not gone as smooth as he liked, but yielded more information than he dared to hope for. Now convinced the father was keeping something quiet or even downright lying, Oikawa went through the statements of teachers, neighbours, anyone who might have that one detail they needed to build a case. He had divided up the work with Iwaizumi, who was going through the other half.  
  
“Oikawa, I want to talk to the kid again,” Iwaizumi said, frowning hard. “I think something happened around October last year. A couple of people have noticed a change in his behaviour around that time. He didn’t say anything during the last talk, but he could have kept quiet, maybe to try and protect his parents.” Children trying to protect their parents in a situation like this might have felt counter-intuitive at first glance, but it happened more often than they liked.  
  
Oikawa nodded slowly and looked up to Iwaizumi. “I think so, too. Well,” he said, and suddenly grinned, “so go talk to him!”  
  
Iwaizumi’s eye twitched and he glared at Oikawa. They both knew fully well that Iwaizumi was not as comfortable around kids, though Oikawa had no idea why. They tended to adore him, with his strong presence and reassuring smile. Besides, Iwaizumi _had_ gone into family law, so it’s not like he hated children or something.  
  
Not even pretending to mind his own business, Hanamaki watched the exchange with interest.  
  
“Go with me, okay?” Iwaizumi said in a gruff voice, breaking eye-contact and visibly embarrassed. “You’re better with kids than I am.”  
  
Oikawa let out a soft snort. “That’s only because I am absolutely amazing with them. They can sense my innate kindness. No-one can beat that.” He ignored Hanamaki’s bark of laughter. “You’d do fine on your own. Besides, you are better with Kuroo.” Then he sighed dramatically. “But if you really want to, I suppose I can go with you.”  
  
“He just likes riling you up,” Iwaizumi chuckled. “You’re too easy.”  
  
At that moment, Kindaichi walked back in with a bunch of paperwork in his hands. He put it down on an empty space with a soft ‘umph’. “Copies of all the witness statements so far, ready for filing away,” he said happily, patting the top of the pile.  
  
“Good job, Kindaichi,” Iwaizumi said. “Before you do that, could you make a call to Nekomata’s shelter? Ask when they can let Oikawa and me talk to Ebisawa Katsu. You have access to our agendas, right?”  
  
“Yep!”  
  
Kindaichi grabbed the phone and dialled the number, then sat down at his computer and pulled out the right agendas. Though Oikawa realised that Iwaizumi had asked the intern to do it so they could move on with other things, he couldn’t stop himself from keeping an eye on it. “Ah, Yaku-san! It’s Kindaichi Yuutarou from Irihata’s! Yes, that’s right, I’m calling about Katsu-kun. Could I schedule a day and time for us to talk to him? Monday, huh.. let me check. Yes, Monday is fine. Ten in the morning, no no that’s not too early, no problem at all. Okay, thanks, Yaku-san!”  
  
“Thank you, Kindaichi-kun,” Oikawa said, smiling at the intern. He always made sure to give him some positive reinforcement; Kindaichi seemed like the kind of guy who could use it, if only to motivate him to work even harder in the future.  
  
Oikawa glanced at the clock and saw lunchtime had gotten close without him noticing. Sighing to himself, he lamented the unstoppable nature of time. Though they had gotten a lot of work done, there was also still much to do. He started doing some prep for Monday, once again getting lost in the work until the next interruption.  
  
“Look who I bumped in at the copy machine.”  
  
Matsukawa walked into their office, and he was not alone. He had an arm slung around your shoulder, a lazy grin on his face.  
  
“Hey everyone,” you said with a big smile. Your eyes fell on Kindaichi and promptly went over to introduce yourself. Then you turned back to Hanamaki and grinned. “Makki, let’s get out of here.”  
  
“Almost ready.”  
  
Oikawa blinked, his gaze going from Hanamaki to Iwaizumi. Apparently his instant conclusion that you were here for Iwaizumi had been wrong. However, you did walk over to him and brushed a hand against his shoulder. He smiled up at you, a soft expression that was rarer than Oikawa liked, yet still painful to see.  
  
Though he tried to pretend he was buried in work (well, let’s face it, he was), Oikawa’s attention kept wandering back to what you were doing. After a quick confirmation with Iwaizumi that you were still on for Saturday, you started to chat with Kindaichi.  
  
“You’re still in law school, right? It sounds really tough, how are you doing?”  
  
“I- it’s alright.”  
  
Oikawa chuckled out loud. “Don’t lie to the lady, Kindaichi-kun, law school is hell.”  
  
With a stutter, Kindaichi reluctantly agreed. Oikawa regretted his words right away, because now your attention was on him.  
  
“Oikawa, right?” He nodded, and your smile widened. “Iwaizumi told me you were roommates at during uni!”  
  
“Yea,” Iwaizumi said. “And don’t let Oikawa get to you, Kindaichi. Yes, law school is hell. But it’s a special kind of torture for idiots like him who can’t pace themselves.”  
  
“Iwa-chan! How cruel!”  
  
Hanamaki let out a small grunt of frustration, obviously stumbling into some kind of roadblock in what he was trying to finish. “Sorry, it’s taking a little longer than I thought.”  
  
“No problem,” you said, “means I can get to know your colleagues a bit better. Find some more dirt on you.”  
  
He snorted loudly. “Like you don’t have enough already.”  
  
Oikawa watched the banter between you two, biting his lip. Part of him realised this was a rare opportunity to ask an actual astronaut some questions, to talk to someone who would physically be in space. On the other hand, did he really want to risk learning more about you, and liking what he found? In the end, his eagerness won out. “(Name)-chan, can I ask something?” Iwaizumi scowled at the affectionate honorific, but kept his mouth shut, knowing this to be clingy behaviour as usual. When you nodded, Oikawa happily scooted a little closer to you. “You’re scheduled for spacewalks up at the ISS, right?”  
  
The sudden shift in conversation seemed to catch you off guard for a moment, but then your face lit up, beaming with excitement. “Yes! There is at least one maintenance scheduled to configure the station with a detector for some technical issues. It was supposed to go up two years ago but we hope to finally get it done this time!”  
  
“That’s the ISS Robotic External Ammonia Leak Locator, right?” he said, unable to resist showing off.  
  
You inhaled sharply at the specific terminology he used, and nodded eagerly. “Yeah! Ha, I didn’t know Makki worked with an expert!” Happily you dove into the conversation, telling Oikawa about adaptors they were going to install, and how much you were looking towards to spending time in the suit.  
  
Oikawa felt like he was in heaven. This was the first time someone indulged him with so much enthusiasm - usually when he got so into it, either the other party would tease him or do their best to listen, but eventually get lost because they simply didn’t know what he was talking about. Honestly, there was another question he wanted to ask even more, but Oikawa wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle it if you disagreed with him on the topic - but if you had the same opinion, surely he would be lost forever. Safer to keep that to himself.  
  
From the sidelines, Iwaizumi watched you with a smile, obviously enjoying seeing you talk so animatedly. Matsukawa had started to chat with Kindaichi, asking how the intern was doing while Hanamaki was still focused on his work. It seemed like everyone was forgetting it was lunch time already (Oikawa hadn’t, but had no intention of pointing it out). That was, until Hanamaki let out a huge sigh of relief and leaned back in his chair.  
  
“Okay, that’s finally done. Let’s go, squirt. We have street food vendors to raid.”  
  
You grinned. “As many as we can. Aaahhh just too bad it’s summer, I would’ve loved some Yaki Imo before I have to leave.”  
  
Hanamaki shrugged. “It will be colder when you get back here, I’ll take you then.” He grunted when you flung your arms around him in a tight hug. “Alright, alright, I know, I’m the best, just don’t crush me, okay?”  
  
“Sorry!” You headed over to the doorway, where you stopped in front of Matsukawa. “Sorry for taking your boyfriend, but I’ll bring him back in one piece, I promise.”  
  
He sighed and ruffled your hair. “I’ll forgive you for hijacking Takahiro if you make him bring some food back for me.”  
  
“I’ll try, but he’ll probably eat it as soon as I’m out of sight.”  
  
Matsukawa grinned. “I still hold you responsible.”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Hanamaki walked past Matsukawa and softly punched him in the shoulder as he went by. “Hey, just because I love you doesn’t mean I’ll let you bully her.”  
  
You shook your head at their antics and started to leave, then paused at the last moment and turned around. “So, I’ll see you Saturday?” you said to Iwaizumi. A light blush accompanied your smile. Iwaizumi still had that soft look in his eyes as he confirmed the date and wished you a good lunch.  
  
The two left the office, leaving a silence behind. Matsukawa shrugged and headed to the cafeteria. “Don’t miss your break,” he said. “It’s been ten minutes already.”  
  
Oikawa blinked at stared at the clock. So it had.  
  
Somehow all of his hunger had disappeared and he just felt a tight coil turning in his stomach. He considered skipping lunch, but Iwaizumi had taken out a bento and obviously intended to eat in the office, so he would know if Oikawa didn’t eat in favour of working. And as little as Oikawa felt like eating, getting yelled at was even less appealing.  
  
So instead he wished Iwaizumi a good meal and followed Kindaichi and Matsukawa to the cafeteria. He could barely get a bite in, his mind filled with images of the soft, affectionate looks Iwaizumi gave you while you absolutely beamed with enthusiasm.  
  
Dammit.  
  
Oikawa sighed and poked at his food, resigning in the fact that he was, in a sad and strictly figurative way, screwed.


	4. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So basically it seems that my chapters keep switching between office shenanigans and incredibly mushy date stuff. The pattern will end at some point, but not today, haha. So you best prepare yourself for the cheese :3

It felt weird, being back at the lake after so long.  
  
The weather was absolutely perfect, clouds forming a light layer of protection against the burn of the sun, a soft breeze brushing against his cheeks and through the lush grass. The temperature was pleasantly warm, ideal for lounging by the water. A lot of memories here, with so little changed that it was all too easy to transport himself back to the old days when his father used to take him here. Even the small patches of trees looked almost identical, and there were as many flowers scattered through the grass as he remembered.  
  
However, those similarities only made the differences stand out more, like how the old wooden quay had been renovated, and a couple of food vendors were scattered around the lake that hadn’t been there before. It was less quiet, but still peaceful. Iwaizumi glanced at you, and his intense expression softened when he saw the smile on your face.  
  
“It’s beautiful here,” you said quietly. “I can’t believe I’ve never been to this place before.” The cool breeze played with your hair and you tucked a strand behind your ear. Iwaizumi fought the urge to brush his hand against your cheek - and then wondered why he bothered. He reached out and gently traced his fingers over your jawline. His eyes studied you closely, trying to drink in every detail of your appearance.  
  
You exhaled slowly and leaned into his touch, clutching the picnic basket you held a little tighter. “I thought we were here to enjoy the lake,” you murmured. “Not that I’m complaining.”  
  
“Maybe I like-”  
  
A bubble of laughter burst from your lips. “Aw man, were you about to say ‘I like this view better’?”  
  
Thoroughly caught off guard by the interruption, Iwaizumi blinked at you. For a moment he considered denying it, but he already that was of no use with you. Instead he settled for a sheepish smile.  
  
“I knew it! Iwaizumi, you’re _incredibly_ cheesy,” you said, still giggling. You readjusted your grip on the basket to one hand and put the other on his shoulder, tugging him forward for a soft kiss. Noses bumped into each other, then found the right angle.  
  
It was a chaste meeting of lips, nothing like that first kiss at the train station. Actually, since then neither of you had made a move like that, as though both were a little embarrassed by being that passionate and forward on a first date. Iwaizumi put his hands on your waist with a gentle, loose grip. They stayed there when the kiss broke, and he watched you with a lazy smile. “I don’t see a problem with being cheesy if it leads to this.”  
  
You snorted and squeezed his shoulder. “Let’s find a good spot, okay? I want to be right by the water!”  
  
Iwaizumi released you from his hold and followed you to the lake. There was a slight slope to the grass, and you happily bounded down to the waterside. For the most part, the field went all the way to the edge of the lake, except where it made way for a path that led to the quay. A group of kids was fishing there, along with some older men.  
  
Some families and couples had already taken up spots on the field. Iwaizumi slowly walked up to you, enjoying the view of you enthusiastically laying down a quilt and flopping down on it. You laid back and rested a hand underneath your head, staring up at Iwaizumi as he stood next to you. The other hand patted on the quilt, inviting him to join you. He sat down, leaning back on his hands and studying you carefully.  
  
He could see the change in your expression, how you went from almost childish excitement to something more serious, but not less content. “Thanks for bringing me here,” you said, staring up at the sky. “It’s really peaceful.” It was true. Somehow the sounds of children playing felt muted, a static in the background that added to the ambiance rather than disturb it. They could hear the chirping of birds and various other sounds of nature.  
  
“You’re welcome,” Iwaizumi said, not looking away from you.  
  
You couldn’t help but blush when you noticed his intense focus on you, and sat back upright to lean against his shoulder. “You used to go here as a kid, right?” A smile tugged at your lips. “I’m kind of jealous.”  
  
Iwaizumi thought back on all the weekends spend here, threatening to get lost in his memories. “My father took me here a lot. Taught me how to fish.” A silence fell, as though you somehow knew he wanted to say more. However, you also sensed his hesitation - he didn’t want to spoil a perfectly good afternoon in summer with a gloomy addition to the story.  
  
So instead, you reached for the basket and took out a couple of sandwiches. You handed him one and started munching on your own.  
  
He took a big bite, then hummed in contentment. “Thanks for preparing the food,” Iwaizumi said, glancing sideways at you. “But it really wouldn’t have been a problem for me to help, you know.”  
  
You smiled and shook your head. “It’s the least I could do. After all, you’re letting me visit one of your spots.” Iwaizumi recalled that conversation back during your first date, of all the things you wanted to do before leaving Japan. When you’d asked him about his favourite places, this came to mind first.  
  
After the second date, you started regularly messaging him and sent pictures of random things you saw. Soon enough he realised they were what you thought you’d miss most from day-to-day life, like potted plants standing in the sunlight, a busy food vendor on the street, or a still of your favourite commercial on TV.  
  
While trying to decide what to do on the third date, you had pointed out how great the weather was supposed to be this weekend. A sudden impulse overtook him and Iwaizumi found himself suggesting this place. At first he felt a little awkward, asking you to go somewhere while you had this long list with your own plans, but you had seemed ecstatic at the prospect of visiting a place he loved.  
  
You pointed out butterflies, pleasantly surprised when Iwaizumi could tell you their exact species. But for the most part, you just enjoyed the peaceful view together.  
  
Slowly, Iwaizumi found himself reminiscing out loud. He took small bites of his sandwich while he spoke, telling you about his father. A loud and rambunctious man (his mother always was the put-together one of the two), but here he went quiet. Iwaizumi loved going here with him. Loved just watching the water, not feeling the need to talk. Once the bobber drifted in the lake, it created this empty space; where there was no need to worry about day-to-day life, no hurry to get anything done, just them and the water. A little impenetrable bubble of tranquillity.  
  
You watched him intently as he talked, your hand resting on top of his.  
  
“But sometimes I’d get really bored, and I thought fishing was stupid and a waste of time,” he said, chuckling to himself. “So he’d tell me to catch bugs instead. Lots of different bugs by the water. Dad always encouraged me to look them up in books afterwards and learn their names.”  
  
The sandwiches were long gone by now. You leaned against his arm, your cheek resting against the fabric of his short-sleeved shirt.  
  
“One time, we got caught in a sudden rainstorm. One of those summer showers. We really should’ve seen it coming, but I didn’t want to miss out on going here.” Iwaizumi smiled. His mother did always like to say that stubbornness had been inside him since birth. “We didn’t bring umbrellas or anything, so dad shielded me from the rain with his coat and got absolutely soaked himself. He was sick for a week after that.”  
  
You chuckled but made no further comment, content to just let Iwaizumi talk. However, he hesitated now, and you sat back upright when you noticed his apprehension.  
  
“He sounds great,” you said softly, running a hand through your hair to try and fix it. The breeze had intensified, playing with your hair and turning it into a bit of a mess. Honestly, Iwaizumi liked it this way.  
  
He reached up to take your hand and intertwine your fingers, bringing it back down to rest on the quilt.  
  
“My dad, he-” Iwaizumi sighed and rubbed his thumb over your knuckles. “About a year ago he developed a heart condition. It was.. it all went very fast.”  
  
Silence fell.  
  
While he talked, Iwaizumi had been staring at your hand, but now he glanced up. He was both curious and nervous to see your expression, afraid that he’d overshared. It was only the third date, after all - the third time you met in person, even. The lunch date had been all fun and flirting (mostly on your part), and light-heartedly getting to know each other better and testing each other’s comfort zone. This was different.  
  
Your face was solemn, but you showed no signs of discomfort, of wanting to flee from a deeper conversation. “I’m sorry,” you said, leaning forward to press your lips on his shoulder before resting your cheek against it. “I wished I could have met him.”  
  
“Thanks,” he said, and put an arm around you, nuzzling the top of your head.  
  
Again, it was quiet between you.  
  
A strange sense of familiarity settled over Iwaizumi. As though an empty space was being created around the quilt, where he did not have to worry about work, or hurry off to get anything done, where he could just sit in the summer sun and enjoy being in a place filled with so many fond childhood memories. Iwaizumi lost track of time until a couple of kids ran into his field of vision, chasing after a butterfly. “Monki-cho,” he muttered softly, easily identifying the yellow insect.  
  
You smiled and detached yourself from him, crossing your legs as you rummaged through the basket. “Makki and I used to go to this shopping mall all the time when we were younger. There was a big fountain right in the middle of it.”  
  
From the basket you took a plastic container, with fresh watermelon cut into bite-sized blocks inside. You handed over a fork to Iwaizumi and put the container between you.  
  
“Our parents always warned us to be careful around it, but one day we just weren’t paying enough attention. Makki was teasing me about something... I don’t even remember what, doesn't matter anyway because of course I had to fight him, you know!” You grinned and took another piece of watermelon. “Anyway I pushed him right into the fountain.”  
  
Iwaizumi snorted. It was all too easy to imagine you and Makki as little kids, up to no good and getting into all sorts of trouble.  
  
“Aw man, Makki was just completely soaked through. He’d just gotten a new haircut so he was super pissed at me. Tried to pull me in there with him.”  
  
“Let me guess, that didn’t go as planned?” Iwaizumi said, quirking up an eyebrow.  
  
You laughed. Whenever you did that, a little crinkle formed at the corner of your eyes. Iwaizumi thought it was the cutest thing. “Poor sod slipped and fell right in again, face-first!”  
  
Iwaizumi sighed and shook his head. “You two must have been a real handful as kids.”  
  
“Kids?” Another laugh. “Ha! We were seventeen! Besides, Makki never stopped being a handful,” you said, a mischievous grin tugging at your lips.  
  
“Oh, and you did?”  
  
Puffing up your chest, the grin melted from your face and you donned a sweet smile instead. “I’m the very beacon of innocence. I can’t believe you'd dare to imply otherwise.”  
  
He chuckled and leaned forward. Gently cupping your cheek, he pulls you towards him to close the distance. Your fingers ran through his hair, eagerly meeting his lips. For a moment he forgot where he was, that he was out in public with you, surrounded by people. Then you let out a small noise and broke away, eyes refusing to meet his, and Iwaizumi remembered. You did look quite pleased, though.  
  
Rubbing the back of his head, he chuckled awkwardly. “Thanks.”  
  
“For what?” you asked, slightly breathless.  
  
He shrugged, not entirely sure himself. “Just.. for being you, I guess.”  
  
It felt like a cheesy thing to say, but you stared at him, mouth forming a small ‘o’. Your cheeks burned red, but at the same time you were frozen in place. Iwaizumi smiled and brushed some of the messy strands of hair out of your face.  
  
That shocked you back into action. “Oh, I just remembered!” you said, your voice almost coming out in a shout from embarrassment. “I packed a couple of cupcakes!”  
  
Your attention flew to the basket and you rummaged through to find the sweets. Though you pointedly ignored Iwaizumi, it was impossible to miss the happy smile you wore. Iwaizumi leaned back on his hands with a silly grin on his face and listened to you babble about the rest of the food you had brought.  
  
It really was a beautiful summer day.

* * *

Hanamaki woke up late on the Saturday afternoon, his nap interrupted by the sound of his phone. Groggily, he lifted his head from Matsukawa’s lap. They lay on the lounging set in the garden together, just barely broad enough to accommodate them both. Matsukawa didn’t look up from his book, reading glasses perched on the tip of his nose. Though Hanamaki knew Matsukawa hated them, personally he had a very different opinion.  
  
“Oh?” Hanamaki said when he saw the sender.  
  
The sun shone down on him, and he could feel heat radiating from his skin that screamed at him to go inside to prevent a sunburn - if it wasn’t already too late.  
  
He rubbed his eyes and read your message, trying to figure out if you sounded frantic or if he was misinterpreting the tone. “We don’t have anything planned for tonight, right?” he asked, glancing up at Matsukawa.  
  
“Not yet, at least,” Matsukawa said, his voice a low rumble. He pushed up his glasses and looked at Hanamaki. “Is something going on?”  
  
Hanamaki shrugged and started a reply. “Not sure. Probably nothing. (Name) asked me to come over tonight.”  
  
“Huh. Didn’t she have a date today?”  
  
Absent-mindedly, Hanamaki nodded while he moved over the screen with quick fingers. “Yea. Maybe she finally buckled and needs me to gossip about Iwaizumi with her.”  
  
Matsukawa snorted loudly and got back to reading. “Sorry, Hiro, but I really doubt it.”  
  
With a sigh, Hanamaki put his phone back down. As much as he hated to admit it, Matsukawa was probably right. Had something happened on the date? Or with your parents? Then again, there was no use to pondering over baseless speculation - perhaps you just wanted to hang out like old times. So Hanamaki turned on his side and tried to catch some more sleep, his impending sunburn already forgotten.

* * *

“Heeyyy, squirt, I thought of another one!” was the first thing that came out of Hanamaki’s mouth when he burst into your home without warning. “Please tell me you have a reserve oxygen tank on you because you take my breath away!” It stayed suspiciously quiet in your apartment, not a hint of the laughter Hanamaki thought this joke deserved. He stuck his head around the doorway to the living room and saw you sitting on the couch, your knees pulled up to your chin and surfing through TV channels.  
  
“Okay, how was that not funny? Was it not space-specific enough? You have such high standards these days.” He sighed and walked up to the couch to flop down next to you. Your silence worried him. “I promise I’ll do next better next time, but only because it’s you. Deal?”  
  
Suddenly you sprang into motion, flinging yourself up from the couch and standing upright in of him. Deep lines of panic were drawn in your face.  
  
“Makki, how could you do this to me!”  
  
Your shout echoed through the room, and he blinked at you. “Whoa, now hang on, the joke wasn’t _that_ bad.”  
  
You sighed and rubbed your temples. “Ugh, I’m sorry, okay? It’s just-” You cut yourself off to glare at Hanamaki. “Weren’t you supposed to set me up with someone I’d just have a fun time with before leaving again?”  
  
With a loud groan, you flopped back on the couch and leaned your forehead on Hanamaki’s shoulder.  
  
“That’s the only reason I let you do it,” you muttered, voice muffled against the fabric of his shirt. “You said you had the perfect guy for a casual thing. I wasn’t supposed to get caught up in anything right before leaving not just the country, but the damned _earth_ for six months.”  
  
“Actually you’ll be out of the country for way longer,” Hanamaki said unhelpfully.  
  
You bumped your forehead against him a little harder.  
  
Hanamaki sighed. “So I take it you like him?”  
  
Quietly, you nodded.  
  
“Look, I’m sorry,” he said, running a hand through his hair. “I had a different guy in mind, but he didn’t want to go. It seriously surprised me, so I just.. improvised. I figured since Iwaizumi got out of a long relationship only a while back, he wasn’t looking for something serious-”  
  
If he had hoped to calm you, those were the wrong words. You froze up against him, then dug your fingers into the cushion of the couch with a steel grip.  
  
“Makki,” you said slowly, “please don’t tell me that means I’m a rebound.”  
  
The response ‘okay, I won’t tell you’, hung on his lips, begging to be said. But despite occasionally being a little shit, Hanamaki recognised a situation that called for more tact when he saw it. “Look,” he said instead, “Iwaizumi is a good guy, okay? I’m gonna take an educated guess and say it’s getting a bit more serious than you bargained for, right?”  
  
You nodded, your forehead rubbing against his shoulder.  
  
“I don’t know what happened, but he’s not the type to string anyone along. Probably the most straight-forward guy I know. If he’s giving you the impression that it’s getting serious, it probably is.” He rested his hand on top of your head, gently running his fingers through your hair.  
  
For a moment it was quiet while you digested his words.  
  
“Today he took me to the lake where he and his father used to go,” you murmured, finally relaxing under Hanamaki’s touch.  
  
It took a second for the exact weight of that to sink in, then Hanamaki whistled softly. And that on a third date. “Yep, he’s definitely serious. You’re not getting rid of this one so easily.”  
  
“Good, I don’t want to,” you said with a pout. “I’m keeping him.”  
  
Hanamaki chuckled. “What are you going to do, bring him on the space station with you? Smuggle him on board?”  
  
You huffed. “I could totally pull it off if I wanted to. Just got to ditch some non-essential supplies and pack him in. It’s not like we need to eat or something.”  
  
“Yeah, and if you have him with you, you won’t need all that fancy fitness equipment, either. More than enough exercise.”  
  
You shot a sideways glare at him and he could see your hand twitch to stomp him in the ribs. However, then your expression turned thoughtful. “Well, I mean, sex in zero gravity.. Nah, it’d be no good,” you said dismissively. “No leverage whatsoever.”  
  
Snorting loudly, Hanamaki ruffled your hair. “You have no imagination, squirt. Just got to figure out the right position and you’ll _create_ leverage.” He grinned at the scowl you directed at him.  
  
“Ugh, you’re gross.”  
  
“Hey, who’s the one who started this lewd tangent about sex in space? My pure heart just thought about the romantic space-walks you'd have together.”  
  
You opened your mouth to protest, mentally rewound the conversation, and closed it again. “Oh shut up,” you muttered, curling up a little tighter on the couch, burrowing your face further into his shoulder.  
  
“You know you love me,” he said, returning to brushing his fingers through your hair. “So, gonna see him again soon?”  
  
“None of your beeswax,” came out your muffled voice.  
  
He let out an exaggerated sigh. “And here I thought we were finally bonding. Do more than twenty years of friendship mean nothing to you?”  
  
“Nope.” You turned your head and grinned up at him. “It only took me ten years to wise up and stop telling you anything about any person I might like. A harsh lesson, that one.”  
  
Hanamaki groaned and let his head fall back. “That was once! It happened just one time! Forgive and forget, right?”  
  
You laughed. “Forgive, yes. Forget? Never.”  
  
Sighing dramatically, he rested the back of his hand on his forehead. “Such a cruel lady. Have some mercy, would you?”  
  
Silence fell in the living room and you broke away from Hanamaki, leaning your forearms on your knees and clasping your hands together. “Makki...” you started, and there was a significant change in tone that made him look up, “is this going too fast?”  
  
He cocked his head to the side and carefully studied you. Your expression was serious and your fingers paled a little from the force of your grasp. “I really don’t think I know enough to judge that,” he said.  
  
Your eye twitched and you glared at him. “Mak-”  
  
“Look, I’m not saying that to make you tell me anything,” Hanamaki said, raising his shoulders in a shrug. “I just don’t know. And even if you told me everything, I probably still wouldn’t. Everyone does this stuff at their own pace, right? Just because Issei and me took over a year before we finally hooked up doesn’t mean everyone should.”  
  
You groaned at the memory. “You two were horrible. I still don’t get why it took so long, do you get off on constantly provoking each other or something?”  
  
“Hey, I’m trying to help here,” he said, but grinned anyway. “As long as it feels right, don’t worry too much about it, okay? Go at your own pace.”  
  
He could see the gears in your head turning, processing the information and trying to lead your thoughts and worries into manageable pathways. Then something in your expression changed and you nodded firmly. “Okay.” You took a deep breath and sat up straight. “Okay. Thanks, Makki. I’ll try.”  
  
“Whoa, you’re actually taking my relationship advice? Talk about living dangerously.”  
  
“Don’t make me change my mind.” You grinned at him, then pushed yourself off the couch. “Come, I’ll buy you some creampuffs.”  
  
“I knew there was a reason we’re friends.” Hanamaki stood up and slung an arm around your shoulders, then mussed up your hair. “You’re getting the expensive kind, right? For your beloved best friend?”  
  
You groaned loudly. “Don’t push it, okay?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Everyone here, thank you for continuing to read this story <3 There's a couple of comments I haven't managed to reply to yet because real life is being... well, real life *crumbles into a mess on the floor* So so so sorry but I read them all and thank you all so much for the feedback and support!
> 
> Because of aforementioned RL, I apologise if anything slipped past my editing! Feel free to point out any errors or just general wonky stuff (tbh, feel free to do that any time, I welcome the feedback). And because Oikawa is an adorable space nerd, this chapter has some related terms thrown in there. I didn't really think I needed to elaborate on them? But I'll edit in explanations in the end notes if people feel like they do need clarification! (or if they just want to hear me ramble on about space, whatever floats your boat!)
> 
> Ok, onward and I hope you enjoy!

For once, Iwaizumi could take it easy on the Monday morning. His natural biorhythm was too stubborn to let him sleep in, but he did not have to scarf down his breakfast and hurry off to the office. He got the chance to go out for a jog, something he usually did after work, but today he’d be in the office late to make up for skipping the early hours. He took a quick shower afterwards, had some time left to drink coffee and read the newspaper. Then he grabbed his briefcase and walked in a brisk pace to the bus stop.  
  
He could reach Nekomata’s with an easy commute, and Oikawa had offered to drive them both to the firm afterwards. Still, a faint sense of discomfort filled Iwaizumi as he waited for the bus, restless from having nothing to do but wait.  
  
Iwaizumi did not dislike children. Sure, you had the unnecessarily loud ones or those kids who took a thrill out of torturing bugs, but in general they weren’t too bad. Honestly he was not even sure himself why the prospect of going on-one-on with a kid made him a little uncomfortable - though not hugely so. Iwaizumi was a professional and if Oikawa had refused, he would have just pushed through and done it alone. Still, he definitely preferred the company.  
  
Perhaps it was because he most certainly had not been an easy child for his parents, hard-headed and prone to picking fights with other kids he considered bullies or stupid. Maybe he worried that he’d somehow rub off on children even now, setting a bad example for How To Not Be An Obnoxious Kid™. Iwaizumi shook his head and tried to get his thoughts on another track. Whatever the cause of his feelings may be, there was nothing he could do about it now.  
  
So instead he allowed himself to smile and think back on the weekend. Like a complete sap, he had been keeping careful track of all kinds of little firsts with you. The first time he got to eat food made by you, the first time he’d made you laugh, the first time he had opened up to you about something intimate. Even the first time he saw you brush your fingers through your hair so meticulously, trying to ‘fix’ it, stood out in his memory - though in Iwaizumi's opinion you looked great, perhaps even better, with messy hair. All memories that made something inside his chest resonate with warmth.  
  
Yesterday evening had marked another first when you called him, instead of the usual text message.  
  
He’d been watching the Fall of Ako Castle, but for you he did not mind hitting the record button and save the rest of the period drama for later. Your initial ‘hi’ came out a little breathy, like you were perhaps nervous about calling, and Iwaizumi could not keep the smile off his face. You’d asked what he was doing, and as soon as he mentioned the movie you turned on your own TV.  
  
And then, somehow, he had found himself spending the rest of the evening on the phone with you. He’d given you a quick catch-up of the movie, smiled at your little gasps and exclamations at the appropriate scenes (and snorted at your inappropriately timed jokes). Commercial breaks left you and him free to chat without restraint, and Iwaizumi made sure to have planned a new date before wishing you a good night and hanging up.  
  
Sleep did not come easy that night, as Iwaizumi had been unable to stop thinking about how nice your voice sounded over the phone.  
  
Now he groggily sat in the bus, suppressing a yawn. The coffee had done much to fix his sleepy state, but he still had to force himself to stay alert and focused. Another reason he considering himself lucky that Oikawa would also be at Nekomata’s.  
  
Oikawa waited for him at his stop, insufferably cheerful for a Monday morning. “Good morning, Iwa-chan!”  
  
Iwaizumi sighed. “Morning, Oikawa,” he said, only a tiny little bit begrudgingly. Together they walked the rest of the way to Nekomata’s, Oikawa happily telling Iwaizumi about his weekend and how much progress his nephew was making on the tennis court.  
  
“So Takeru is really taking after his uncle, huh?” Iwaizumi observed, remembering how much Oikawa used to play back in college (because just the workload for getting a law degree apparently wasn’t challenging enough for certain people).  
  
“Aah, you should’ve seen him! With my guidance he could become a pro for certain.”  
  
Iwaizumi smiled at Oikawa’s satisfied expression and was hit with a strange wave of nostalgia for their student days. “I’m glad you still get to play with him,” he said, “you always looked happy on the court - well, unless you were using it to blow off steam, I guess.” But even then Oikawa always seemed to feel better afterwards.  
  
Oikawa let out a surprised yelp. “What is this sudden kindness coming from you, Iwa-chan!” He sighed and shook his head. “I really can’t trust it at all, it’s too unexpected when you aren’t angry.”  
  
“I’m not angry all the time,” Iwaizumi said, trying yet failing to keep the annoyed undertone out of his voice.  
  
“Sorry, sorry, I know you’re not. Just teasing. Warming you up for Kuroo.” With a broad smile, Oikawa patted him on the shoulder.  
  
“Me?” Iwaizumi snorted. “You’re the one he likes to provoke.”  
  
“If you’re jealous of the attention I get from him, you only had to say! I’ll remind him to spend some more effort on you, too~”  
  
Iwaizumi just rolled his eyes and let the comment slide; they had reached the front door of the kid’s shelter and it was time to get to work. He could already see a bustle of activity through the window while Oikawa rang the doorbell.  
  
There was no garden at the front of the house but they had one out back, filled with vegetables and herbs. The building was old but carefully renovated to accommodate the shelter, housing young children that needed a temporary home while the justice and social system tried to decide what to do with them. Nothing fancy about it, but it was clean and comfortable inside.  
  
After a moment the door opened and a tall man with a messy hairdo and slightly unnerving grin stood in the hallway. “Five minutes late, boys. I am extremely disappointed,” Kuroo said. His slanted eyes carefully took in their appearances, and when he studied Oikawa’s hair his grin widened. “Let me guess, mister Floofy over here overslept and needed extra grooming time to make himself look presentable?”  
  
Oikawa twitched, but was quick to retort. “Not all of us have given up on a proper haircare regime,” he sniffed, running a hand through his hair, which bounced back into place perfectly.  
  
“Can we not do this today?” Iwaizumi said, giving both of them a flat look.  
  
“He started it!”  
  
“Sure sure~ Come on through, Katsu is in the backyard with Fukunaga.”  
  
They switched their shoes for indoor slippers and Kuroo led them inside the house, where they could hear voices from the other room. As Iwaizumi walked past the doorway he saw a kid sitting on the couch, tears streaming down her face while Yaku patched up the broken skin on her knees. “I- it hurts,” the girl sobbed, rubbing furiously at her eyes.  
  
Yaku clicked his tongue, gently wrapping gauze around her knee. “You need to be more careful, you know? That’s the third time in two days.”  
  
And then Iwaizumi was past the doorway, following Kuroo to the kitchen. By now he was familiar enough with the building’s layout to know that the kitchen led to the garden out back. “He’s doing pretty well today,” Kuroo said, tipping his chin in the boy’s direction. Katsu was outside, digging in the dirt. “But he definitely has his ups and downs. What did you want to ask him?”  
  
They went into the usual routine; Oikawa and Iwaizumi gave an overview of the information they were after and what their exact questions were, and Kuroo listened intently, then gave them an estimation of what subjects might be sensitive or somehow give trouble. During all this, Iwaizumi couldn’t help but glance outside, watching how Katsu helped a dark-haired guy in the vegetable garden, the kid’s knees and hands stained with dirt.  
  
“Okay, I’ll go get him,” Kuroo said, and opened the glass sliding door to poke his head outside. “Oi, Katsu-kun! Get over here!”  
  
“Aww, Kuroo, but he’s showing me how to replant cabbage!” the boy said, holding up a little plant.  
  
Fukunaga quietly shook his head and took the shoot from Katsu’s hands, carefully laying it down in a small container. He stood up, then patted Katsu on the back, nudging the kid to follow him. Together they walked to the house, Katsu furiously rubbing his hands on his shorts in an attempt to get them clean.  
  
“You’re still going to have to wash them,” Kuroo said. Despite his loud groan, Katsu went inside the kitchen to do so anyway. Then Kuroo turned to Fukunaga and made a series of rapid hand-gestures. Fukunaga’s fingers moved even smoother in response, betraying a lifetime of practise.  
  
Though Iwaizumi was no longer surprised by them, he also wasn’t fluent enough yet to understand the silent conversation. All he managed was a sloppy ‘good morning’, balling his right hand into a fist and making choppy gestures with it. Fukunaga still gave him a small smile and repeated the sign back to him, followed by a couple more.  
  
“You improved,” Kuroo translated, and chuckled when Iwaizumi turned a little red and muttered his thanks.  
  
Oikawa shot a smug expression his way and did a couple of signs, his movements not quite as quick as Fukunaga’s, but definitely smoother than Iwaizumi’s. However, Kuroo exchanged a look with Fukunaga, then chortled loudly. Fukunaga brought up his hand to his mouth, a loud puff of air escaping through his nose; his personal version of a laugh. Oikawa gave them a startled look, visibly indignant at this reaction.  
  
“You definitely got worse,” Kuroo said, a toothy smirk on his face.  
  
“Lies!” Oikawa cried out. “Lies and slander!”  
  
“If I were you I’d double-check later what you just signed, Oikawa. You know I love you, but that was outrageous. Even by your standards.”  
  
Fukunaga quietly chuckled again, then excused himself to go back to work in the garden. The three of them were left behind, and the mood quickly turned somber as they returned their focus to work. The time for fooling around was over. “I’ll keep an eye on Katsu, but I don’t expect I’ll need to intervene,” Kuroo said, craning his neck to peek into the kitchen. Katsu was just finishing up, drying his now clean hands with a towel.  
  
They gathered around the kitchen table with Katsu. He gave Oikawa and Iwaizumi an expectant look, fully aware why the two had come here. His expression was far too serious for a kid his age, and Iwaizumi sighed. This part of the job was never fun, trying to pry the information they needed out of a child who probably had a lot of memories he didn’t like to think about. Luckily Kuroo stuck around to support Katsu. Luckily Oikawa had agreed to come. Both helped to make Iwaizumi feel better.  
  
“Katsu-kun,” Oikawa said, his voice smooth but without any obnoxious edge, “I know we talked to you before, but we need to ask some more questions.”  
  
He nodded solemnly, though his bottom lip trembled a little. “I understand.”  
  
Iwaizumi resisted the urge to readjust his clothes or fiddle with his hands. He needed to look as composed as possible now. “We’d like to know more about what happened last October. Is there anything you haven’t told us yet?”

* * *

Kuroo waved them off as Oikawa and Iwaizumi left Nekomata’s. Neither of them had been particularly surprised by most of what Katsu had told them, but that was a good thing. It just meant their suspicions were confirmed, and the new information gave them more to work with.  
  
“That was a good call, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said, his voice serious despite using that frivolous nickname.  
  
Iwaizumi snorted. “You’d been thinking the same thing, right? I just opened my mouth first.” The weather was nice, if a little on the hot side, and his brain rebelled against the prospect of going back into the office. Knowing that he would stay longer today to make up for the late start did not help.  
  
During the drive there, they talked back and forth, analysing the extra information they now had. Working out the implications and how they could use it for the case. At the office, there was so much to do that time flew by. Not for the first time, Iwaizumi wished their team was a little bigger - or at least that Kindaichi was around today to pick up some extra work. Their coffee break was one of the few moments of calm - relatively speaking.  
  
“Uurrgghhh, it huuurts,” Hanamaki complained for the nth time, gingerly touching the back of his neck with his fingertips. The skin glared red and already started to peel.  
  
“It’s your own fault for falling asleep outside,” Oikawa said, but he paid more attention to his phone than the conversation.  
  
Hanamaki rolled his eyes. “You sound just like Issei, you know that?”  
  
“Thanks!”  
  
“..It’s not a compliment.”  
  
“I don’t know, Makki, if Mattsun is talking sense like that, it definitely sounds like one.”  
  
Iwaizumi had his eyes closed and took the occasional sip of coffee. An attempt to give his body a break from the stress of work, which wasn’t all that easy with those two in the room. “Play nice, kids,” he said, opening one eye to peek at them. But he knew this was their own way of unwinding, so there was no pressure behind his words.  
  
As usual in this kind of situation, they blatantly ignored him. “You just think he-” Hanamaki was about to shot back at Oikawa, when the latter exclaimed loudly and almost dropped his phone.  
  
“Those damned bastards!” Oikawa held up his phone to Iwaizumi, eyes blazing. “Look at this, those jerks lied to me!”  
  
Iwaizumi blinked, then recognised the site. A video played of someone demonstrating the usage of Japanese sign language, looking more advanced than the ones Iwaizumi watched to practise with.  
  
“I was absolutely impeccable! So rude,” Oikawa pouted, crossing his arms. “Do we have any excuse to get over there again? I need to get back at them somehow. They made me question my perfectly fluent grasp of JSL, I can’t forgive them.” Nurturing his wounded pride, Oikawa huffed and kept muttering under his breath about ‘that damned Kuroo’.  
  
“If you really were fluent, you would’ve seen through them,” Iwaizumi pointed out.  
  
Oikawa yelped, then hissed at him. “Traitor! Kuroo and Fukunaga hatch evil schemes, and you pick their side?”  
  
Sighing, Iwaizumi gave him an exasperated look. He didn’t dignify the accusation with a response, instead telling Hanamaki about a couple of the tricks he learnt from his mother to treat sunburns. Oikawa wanted to put on an indignant protest, but ended up listening with great interest to Iwaizumi’s explanation of how to use aloe vera to soothe peeling skin.  
  
By some miracle, nobody bickered until the end of their coffee break and they went back to the jobs at hand with renewed energy. Iwaizumi worked uninterrupted, until when his internet suddenly gave out. It resulted in a frustrating fifteen minutes on the phone with Watari from tech support to get everything fixed, then he lost track of time again. He barely registered that Matsukawa came over to pick up Hanamaki, and didn’t realise how late it had gotten until his phone buzzed.  
  
He rubbed his eyes and tore himself away from the computer to check his messages. When Iwaizumi saw your name on the screen, his face lit up with a smile.  
  
_Was tragically seduced by a treacherous cheese cake. Tummy hurts._  
  
Quickly followed by;  
  
_Did you have dinner yet?_  
  
Iwaizumi felt Oikawa’s eyes on him as he put together a reply. Part of him realised he had a grin on his face, but he couldn’t help himself. _Eat or drink something with peppermint. Still at work, staying in late today._  
  
You replied quickly, expressing your sympathies and asking if he was stuck there by himself. _Don’t forget to eat, okay?_  
  
“You’re looking happy,” Oikawa said with a light drawl, twirling a pen between his fingers. “So is it safe to assume things between you and (Name)-chan are going well?”  
  
Iwaizumi froze mid-sentence, just about to answer you that Oikawa was with him. Damn, was he that obvious? He finished his message before turning to Oikawa. “Actually, it is,” he said with a smile.  
  
For a second, something passed over Oikawa’s face that Iwaizumi could not quite place. Then it was gone, replaced by a cheerful grin. The change happened so quickly that Iwaizumi wondered if he had imagined it - but at the same time he couldn’t help but suspect that Oikawa still felt a little salty over missing his chance to go on a blind date with you. Even if Oikawa hadn’t shown serious interest in dating someone for a while now, this had to hurt his inner space fanboy.  
  
Well, as long as Oikawa didn’t say anything, there really was nothing Iwaizumi could do about it. If things got worse, he’d call Oikawa out on it, but sooner or later Oikawa always spoke up about whatever annoyed him. He was far too candid not to.  
  
Iwaizumi’s phone buzzed again, and your enthusiastic reply made him chuckle. _Space comrade Oikawa! Say hi to him for me, okay? I’ll leave you to work now, see you tomorrow!_  
  
“(Name) says hi,” Iwaizumi said as he put away his phone. Only half an hour left, then they could go home.  
  
Oikawa perked up, eerily resembling a puppy whose owner finally came home after a month-long trip. “You guys talk about me?” he said, a bright smile on his face.  
  
“Yea, she asked me if that weird guy who never stops staring at her was dangerous or not.”  
  
“Rude, Iwa-chan.” Oikawa pouted at him. “Be careful, abrasiveness is not an attractive feature. You might lose her if you keep talking like that.”  
  
“Don’t worry, this is special treatment I keep reserved just for you.” Iwaizumi hesitated for a moment. “Hey, want to grab some dinner together when we’re done here? I was thinking about going to that sushi bar around the corner.”  
  
Raising an eyebrow, Oikawa gave him a distrustful look. He tapped his finger on his lips, momentarily lost in thought. “Aren’t you just asking me so I won’t stay late again?”  
  
Iwaizumi tensed up, suddenly feeling very called out. But in all fairness, it wasn’t just that; as frustrating as Oikawa could be, Iwaizumi also simply enjoyed his company. “Of course not, you dumbass. We just haven’t spent time together outside of work in a while. I’ll go by myself if you don’t want to.”  
  
Oikawa’s eyes sparkled with glee. As expected, Iwaizumi’s rebuttal failed to fool him. They knew each other too well by now. “Iwa-chan!” he cried out. “I knew you cared!”  
  
“S- shut up, Trashykawa! We still have work to do!”  
  
“Of course, of course~”

* * *

The following day somehow seemed lighter. Oikawa hummed as he finished up another report to Irihata, detailing their progress so far and how they intended to continue. Honestly, time had just flown by - except when Iwaizumi physically dragged him out of the office to eat in the cafeteria, completely seeing through Oikawa’s intention to skip lunch.  
  
Hanamaki gave him an amused look. “What are you so happy about, Oikawa? Something good happened to you? I can’t help but feel uneasy when you’re that cheerful.”  
  
“What’s there to feel uneasy about! I’m just happy today!”  
  
Leaning back in his chair, Hanamaki shrugged. “I guess it just makes you look untrustworthy. Don’t you think so, Kindaichi?”  
  
Kindaichi jolted up from his paperwork, startled at suddenly being involved in the discussion. A bead of sweat ran down his forehead while the corner of his mouth twitched. Clearly he hadn’t expected to suddenly get pulled into this conversation, let alone be forced to choose a side. “Uhm, I- ahh,” he said, tripping over every attempt to formulate a response.  
  
“Leave him out of it, you two,” Iwaizumi said, his sharp eyes burning into Hanamaki and Oikawa. “Kindaichi, come help me double-check and mark these dates, would you?”  
  
“Y- yes, Iwaizumi-san!”  
  
With that, Oikawa and Hanamaki also turned back to their work (but only after Oikawa stuck out his tongue and put a finger underneath his eye, pulling down the lower eyelid).  
  
Oikawa sighed and leaned back in his chair, thinking back on Hanamaki’s initial comment. Something good?  
  
Well, yesterday evening definitely had been good. Iwaizumi was right; it’d been a while since they last did something together outside of work, without the pressure of deadlines and mountains of paperwork always looming over them. But whenever it was just the two of them, just hanging out casually, Oikawa could somehow relax. His feelings for his old roommate were pushed to the background and instead he could just enjoy Iwaizumi’s company and catch up on whatever was going on in their lives.  
  
For a while it did not matter they would never be more, because what he had was enough - at least in that moment.  
  
Oikawa sighed to himself. He was self-aware enough to realise this feeling of contentment would not last forever, but he tried to enjoy it for now anyway.  
  
Slowly the minutes passed by as the end of the day got closer, leaving Oikawa with the eternal debate whether he would stick around to do some overtime or not. Meanwhile, it seemed some of his colleagues were quite impatient to leave.  
  
“Iwaizumi, you’re not usually this antsy,” Hanamaki said flatly, barely looking away from his work.  
  
“I’m not antsy,” he said, but they were empty words. Iwaizumi sat restlessly in his chair, constantly checking the time on the clock. He tapped his finger on the desk and was clearly waiting for this day to end already.  
  
“Sure.” Hanamaki’s voice turned into a drawl and he had a toothy grin stuck on his face. “So you don’t have any exciting plans after work?”  
  
Iwaizumi let out a deep sigh and breathed the tension out of his body. “None that are any of your business.”  
  
Hanamaki turned to Oikawa. “Seriously, why did you have to refuse that blind date? Iwaizumi is as tight-lipped as she is, it’s horrible. Now you, you could at least bribed with milk bread.”  
  
“You’d need more milk bread than you can afford, Makki~”  
  
Not even the reminder of what could have been was enough to ruin Oikawa’s mood (he pointedly ignored the small shard of regret that burrowed itself deeply in his back). With a faint smile he continued to work, and even considered going back home on time today. Maybe he deserved to spoil himself a little, on a nice day like this.  
  
A knock came against the door, and nobody was surprised to see you standing in the opening, a bright smile on your face. “Makki!” you keened, hugging Hanamaki from behind and rubbing your cheek against his short hair.  
  
His face remained impassive as he endured your display of affection, but Oikawa caught an upward quirk of his lips when you let go of him. “Nice to see you, too.”  
  
Iwaizumi’s gaze snapped to the clock on the wall, confirming that it was, in fact, the end of his workday. “Give me a minute and I’m good to go,” he said to you by means of greeting, obviously eager to get out of the office as soon as possible.  
  
“No problem!”  
  
Iwaizumi started cleaning up his desk while your eyes wandered around the room. Finally they settled on Oikawa, and he could feel his heart rate increase. You smiled at him, but then looked away again, quietly waiting for Iwaizumi instead of striking up a conversation with anyone. Kindaichi frantically tried to finish going through a stack of paperwork, so distracted he barely acknowledged your presence, while Hanamaki had also started gathering his things, ready to head home.  
  
Only Oikawa didn’t move. He gave you a distracted look while his mind went into overdrive. A question for you had occurred to him after the last time he saw you, and he could feel the words bubbling to his lips, as much as he tried to fight it. Dammit, he needed to keep his mouth shut!  
  
But this was something he wanted to ask you - no, he needed to, even if he was scared of the result. A voice inside his head screamed to keep quiet, reminding him of his intention to interact as little as possible with you. Last time he had already messed up, somehow unable to resist talking to you. Was he falling into a trap? Getting himself in deeper with every conversation?  
  
Just keep your damned mouth shut, Oikawa told himself. Everything would be okay if he just ignored you and wait until you were out of his life again. You wouldn’t stay in the country forever, after all. Just get through these weeks and it would be okay. As long as he didn’t talk to you-  
  
“I was wondering, (Name)-chan, do you believe in aliens?”  
  
Dammit.  
  
Somehow, his voice betrayed nothing of his nerves, smooth as silk with a charming smile to top it off. A small blessing, in the grand scheme of things.  
  
“Hm? What?” You’d been playing with the little bobblehead of a puppy on Hanamaki’s desk, and snapped out of a daze. As soon as his words registered with you, you jumped up straight with an excited grin on your face.  
  
Hanamaki groaned. “Iwaizumi, how about I take you out to dinner tonight? She won’t be leaving the room for _hours_ now. Good job, Oikawa. Really great.”  
  
Iwaizumi rose an eyebrow, looking from you to Oikawa, but he made no hurry to stop you from answering so you could get on with the date. Quite the opposite; an indulgent smile formed on his lips as he watched you mull over the question, formulating a response in your head before you answered.  
  
“Well, in principle I do, of course,” you started, making vague gestures with one hand while the other ran through your hair.  
  
Oikawa could feel his heart grow ten times in size. In that exact moment, he was convinced that no matter what happened because of his poor impulse-control, it would all be worth it just to have heard you say those words.  
  
“But it’s an interesting subject, you know? Because saying ‘yes, they exist’ raises a whole bunch of other questions!” You speech got quicker, a fierce glint in your eyes as you looked at Oikawa. “Like.. do you know the Fermi paradox?”  
  
Now his heart cried out with joy. Any past resolution to minimise his interactions with you had been forgotten. “Of course!” he said. “It’s so frustrating because _where are they_? Why haven’t we heard from them yet!”  
  
You nodded vigorously, full-blown rambling now. “I mean, I still think there’s life out there, because the universe is just too big. But then you start speculating why we’ve seen no signs of colonisation anywhere and people come up with scary theories like the Great Filter. I don’t even want to think abou-”  
  
Loudly, Hanamaki cleared his throat. He nudged his head meaningfully towards Iwaizumi with an impassive expression on his face. However, Iwaizumi just smiled at you, obviously enjoying the sight of you speaking so passionately. He looked like he would have been patient enough to wait forever while you poured out your heart to Oikawa.  
  
You yelped and apologised to Iwaizumi for getting carried away, then turned back to Oikawa. “Okay, it’s settled, I _need_ to give you my number so we can talk more about this some other time! Is that alright?”  
  
Oikawa barely registered what was happening while he handed you his phone and watched you add yourself to his contacts. Was he.. seriously getting your number? You wanted to talk more to him? His brain snapped back into gear, remembering every single reason why this was a bad idea, why speaking up had been monumentally stupid of him. He wanted to protest somehow, to think of an excuse to graciously decline. Instead he helplessly took his phone back and watched you and Iwaizumi leave. He returned your enthusiastic wave goodbye with a weak one of his own.  
  
“Stay out of trouble, all right?” Hanamaki shouted after them, then closed his briefcase and said goodbye to Oikawa and Kindaichi. He went in the opposite direction as you, to pick up Matsukawa first.  
  
“Is everything alright, Oikawa-san?” Kindaichi asked carefully.  
  
Oikawa sat in his chair, staring at his phone in a daze. All the euphoria at your answer drained out of him, and he was squashed under the realisation that this was about to become a serious problem.  
  
Cursing himself and his big mouth, Oikawa put on a smile for Kindaichi and assured him that everything was fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed!


	6. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After proofreading my first draft, a friend called me evil for this one :3 (all the appreciation for my two friends who tolerate me chucking rough unfinished chapters at them and picking through them <3 love you both so much)
> 
> On a different note, when I first posted this story I had a generous buffer so I hoped that for the longest time I could do consistent weekly updates. A combination of real life being frantic and my brain being a little shit aaand... buffer is gone. I have already started on the next chapter, outlined most of it, but from this point on you should probably expect updates to become less regular. So sorry for this!

“I’m so sorry, I always get carried away talking about stuff like that,” you said, rubbing the back of your head apologetically.  
  
Outside the weather was still warm, and the streets were busy, filled with people enjoying the nice summer day. You and Iwaizumi slowly navigated through the crowd, neither of you in a hurry. It was a bit of a walk to the restaurant you had in mind for this evening, but still a comfortable distance.  
  
Iwaizumi chuckled. “No, it’s alright, I like listening to you.”  
  
As true as this was, he also kind of hoped that the compliment would bring that adorable blush back on your face. The plan back-fired on him in a spectacular way when you grinned mischievously at him instead. “That’s sweet, but aren’t you just saying that to get in my pants?”  
  
He cleared his throat, uncomfortably aware of the heat that rose to his cheeks. So much for making _you_ blush. You laughed at his fluster, then hooked your arm around his and pressed your cheek to his shoulder. This did nothing to alleviate the burning in his face.  
  
You untangled yourself from him again to make walking easier, though you kept close. Despite the summer warmth, Iwaizumi still felt cold when your body heat left him. The conversation shifted to day-to-day things, somehow more comfortable and natural than just a week ago. Iwaizumi felt like the edge was taken off; he didn’t have to work hard at finding a topic, there was far less pressure to say the exact right thing every time he opened his mouth. Instead he could just walk next to you and relax (well.. when you weren’t flustering him, that is).  
  
“You’ve been to this place before, right?” Iwaizumi said, studying the wistful smile on your face.  
  
As soon as it had been decided to go out to dinner today, you eagerly suggested a little restaurant Iwaizumi had never heard of before.  
  
“Yep. I used to go here all the time, but it’s been years ago!” Working from memory, you kept a close eye on the streets to find the way back. “Not much has changed around here,” you observed, and started pointing out little shops you used to go with friends, and lamenting a bakery that had changed into an electronics store. “Urgh, they used to have little banana cakes, those were _delicious_.”  
  
Iwaizumi chuckled at your pout, then reached out to squeeze your hand. Soothingly, he ran his thumb over your knuckles. “You’re very passionate about dessert,” he mumbled, then suddenly felt overly conscious of the affectionate gesture and let go of you.  
  
You grinned at him, holding up your hand to your chest. “Well, who isn’t! Ah, we got to go left now. Almost there.”  
  
He let himself be led into a side street, noticing how you started to walk faster. Honestly, your eagerness to get to the restaurant was endearing, and Iwaizumi kept up with you without comment. Your eyes were fixated on a point in the distance, but the closer you got, the more they narrowed. Suddenly your pace dwindled and your jaw fell slack as you stared at a little ramen place. It looked a bit slovenly, even if the waft of smells coming from inside made Iwaizumi’s stomach rumble.  
  
“That’s..” You chewed on your lip before continuing, a frown slowly deepening on your face. “It closed?”  
  
Iwaizumi looked from you to the restaurant and back. Discomfort started to churn inside his gut; you’d looked forward to this so much, how were you going to respond? His mind raced, trying to figure out what the best alternatives were and how he could comfort you, if needed.  
  
“Aahhh, I’m sorry,” you said, running a hand through your hair, lightly messing it up. “I really should have checked first, it’s been a couple of years, after all.” Then you turned to him and sighed. “Well, nothing to do about it, right? Should we go somewhere else instead? What do you feel like eating?”  
  
The front door opened when some people left the ramen restaurant, and another blast of delicious scents hit Iwaizumi. He smiled back at you, unable to resist tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “You’re taking this pretty well.”  
  
“I mean, nothing I can do about it now, right?” you said, frowning at the restaurant. “Bad luck. We’ll just have to find someplace else to eat.”  
  
“Why not here? Smells good.”  
  
You craned your neck to peek inside. “It looks busy, but we could try!” There was a menu plastered to the window and you studied it carefully. “Hey, they actually do take-out here.”  
  
Iwaizumi stood behind you, trying to read the menu but thoroughly distracted by a new scent; you. A faint floral aroma, along with something sweet he could not identify but always seemed to travel with you, entered his nose and proved so distracting that he completely missed what you said next.  
  
“If that’s okay with you?”  
  
Half-turned around, you smiled at Iwaizumi - but while he spaced out your confidence had seeped away and been replaced by a shyness that surprised him.  
  
“Hm, sorry?” he said, feeling incredibly sheepish.  
  
You rose an eyebrow and wore a teasing grin on your face. Iwaizumi had the distinct feeling you knew exactly what’d happened. “I wondered if you wanted to have take-out at my place? It’s not that far from here. Or something else, if you don’t want to.” Your voice lowered to a mutter towards the end, and you broke eye-contact with Iwaizumi.  
  
He smiled at the nonchalance that you tried to fake and rested a hand on your shoulder. “I’d love to.”  


* * *

“Look, I have to warn you, it’s kind of bare, okay?” You fumbled with the key while Iwaizumi carried the bags of food. “I took a bunch of my stuff to Texas so it’s pretty much half empty.”  
  
“I’m sure it’s fine,” Iwaizumi said. “Do you have a couch to crash on while we eat the food? Some way to reheat the broth?”  
  
You grinned at him as you opened the door. “Yes and yes.”  
  
“Then it’s fine.”  
  
The front door led directly into the living room of your apartment. Iwaizumi looked around him with interest, his first thought that it did look like someone was in the middle of moving. There was a bookcase with only a couple of shelves part-way filled, some basic furniture, but no extensive decorations except for a handful of framed pictures.  
  
You took the bags of food from Iwaizumi and brought them to the small kitchenette. “Just make yourself at home, I’ll take care of this,” you said, taking out the separate containers of noodles and broth. “Aw man, that smells good,” you groaned.  
  
Iwaizumi wandered around the room, his eyes once again drawn to the bookcase. There were a couple of photobooks, biographies, a couple of books clearly meant for leisurely reading. A little to the side was a small stack of DVD’s, and Iwaizumi picked up the top one to read the back. It sounded vaguely familiar to him, and he wondered if Oikawa had made him watch it before.  
  
“We can watch a movie if you want,” you said to him over your shoulder, then turned your attention back to the food. You stood at the stove, where you warmed the broths in two separate, small pans.  
  
There was something about the way you stood there, occasionally stirring with a wooden spoon and testing the temperature, something that made Iwaizumi’s heart beat just a little quicker. Unbidden, the image rose in his mind of walking up to you and wrapping his arms around your waist, pressing a kiss to the back of your neck and hearing your light giggle. However, he had no idea how you would respond, so he held himself back.  
  
To Iwaizumi this only served as proof that the relationship was still quite undefined. Which really shouldn’t have come as a surprise, considering this was only the fourth date over a timespan of a week and a half. Somehow, Iwaizumi felt like it had been longer.  
  
Trying to shake that image, Iwaizumi walked over to your DVD player to set up the movie. He tried to figure out the buttons of your remote, even though his mind was preoccupied by wondering just how this had all happened. Two weeks ago you were only a name mentioned by Hanamaki, and now Iwaizumi found himself rapidly invested in the idea of spending as much time as possible with you before you left. Was that why this had all gone so quickly? Was he getting carried away by this feeling of having a deadline, of needing to get as much out of this as he could within a limited time frame?  
  
He glanced back and felt the smile tug at his lips when he saw you humming and swaying to a beat only you could hear. Perhaps he didn’t need to worry about this right now. Just enjoy the moment. No unnecessary things clouding his mind.  
  
No problem. Easy as pie. He sighed and stepped away from the DVD player.  
  
“Oohh, that’s a good one,” you said when the menu of the movie turned up on the screen. “I approve!”  
  
Iwaizumi had just selected the Japanese dub option when you walked over with two steaming bowls and pairs of chopsticks. “I wasn’t sure if you’d like space movies,” he said. “Aren’t the inaccuracies annoying?” A sure-fire way to drive Iwaizumi up the wall was seeing seeing a court case on TV, rife with mistakes.  
  
“Uhmm, it’s how you look at it, I guess?” you said, settling down next to him on the couch. “Sometimes a movie is fun to watch because they obviously did their research, that’s just awesome. But some days are just perfect for something that’s fantastic exactly because the writers sound like they never attended a single astrophysics class!” Your grin was infectious.  
  
“So which one’s this?” Iwaizumi asked, and started the movie.  
  
“It’s based on a novel whose writer did most of his homework,” you said with a chuckle, and wriggled into a more comfortable position on the couch, bringing yourself closer to Iwaizumi. Silence settled in the room - except for the sounds of the TV and slurping noise that came with eating delicious ramen.  
  
Not even five minutes into the movie and Iwaizumi was sure; he’d seen it before. However, after finishing your meal you had started to quietly chatter at him during the parts with no dialogue, excitedly telling him about notable points of accuracy or just sprouting random facts at him. It turned the movie back into a whole new experience.  
  
His food was gone quickly, and you curled up next to Iwaizumi, folding up your legs and resting one arm on the back of the couch behind him. For a moment he was reminded of the way guys sometimes tried to sneak an arm around a girl’s shoulders in the cinema, and quietly chuckled to himself. You were quite close, and he could feel your breath puff against him as you talked.  
  
Soon enough Iwaizumi realised he had stopped watching the movie. “Some of this is actually based on a real mission,” you mumbled to him. “Planned for 2030. Damn, I’d kill to be a part of that. Can you imagine, being on the first manned mission to Mars?”  
  
Iwaizumi thought your cheeks must hurt by now from smiling so hard, and your eyes were sharp and intense. He wondered if you even realised that your fingers occasionally brushed through his hair, light touches that seemed more subconscious than intentional. Either way, you did at some point caught onto the fact that Iwaizumi had forgone watching the movie in favour of watching you, and flushed red at his undivided attention. Every sense of his body was aware of how close you sat to him.  
  
He could smell that flowery aroma again, combined with the lingering scent of ramen in the room. Your body heat radiated against him - or was it Iwaizumi who felt so hot? He could almost count every individual eyelash, hear every exhale of breath. Your bottom lip quivered just the slightest, drawing his eyes to it.  
  
Before even being fully aware of what he was doing, Iwaizumi leaned in to kiss you. He put one hand on your waist, the other cupping your cheek to hold you close. A sharp intake of breath, then your eyes closed and your hands dove into his hair. His mouth moved hard against yours, trying to absorb even the faintest taste from your lips. You met him in equal measure, tugging at his hair and sitting on your knees for better access.  
  
Though it was tempting to just let go and see what would happen, Iwaizumi broke the kiss. You caught your breath, hands sliding to his shoulder and gripping tightly. “You know, if you wanted me to shut up, all you had to do was ask.” That teasing glint was back in your eyes, along with something else, a distinct look of hunger.  
  
He shook his head. “I could listen to you talk all day.”  
  
You laughed and pressed another kiss on his lips, quick and light this time. “Why are you so precious?” you asked, resting your forehead against his. “I can’t handle it at all.”  
  
“Stole my line,” Iwaizumi murmured, and pulled you close again. You sighed happily and let your hands slide over the plane of Iwaizumi’s clothed back. Your tongue teased against his lips, daring him to take it further. He gladly parted his lips and met you halfway, tongues gliding against each other in a lazy but heated dance. Groaning, Iwaizumi pushed inside to explore your mouth and tangled his fingers in your hair. The way your blunt nails raked over his shoulder blades made him shudder.  
  
His hand massaged your hip, tempted to sneak underneath your clothes and explore. It would be so easy to give in now and stop thinking. You’d only be here for a limited time, he needed to enjoy this while you’re here. Nothing would be easier than losing control.  
  
But Iwaizumi never was known for making things easy on himself. It took more effort than the first time, but he pulled back reluctantly, using his grip on you to keep you in place when you instinctively leaned forward with him. You panted softly, your hands returning to rest on his shoulders. The way you looked at him with dilated eyes was almost enough to make Iwaizumi forgo his resolve to hold back.  
  
“Are we going too fast?” he asked. Suddenly he became aware again of the sound of that movie in the background, as though earlier he had entered a vacuum with you, consisting of nothing but the feel of your lips against his.  
  
Closing your eyes, you exhaled slowly and sat back, creating a bit of distance between you and Iwaizumi. When you opened your eyes again, you had regained some composure and calm. Just from looking at the expression on your face, Iwaizumi knew you had been wondering the same thing. “I.. don’t know,” you said. “Do you want to take it slower?”  
  
Somehow, the atmosphere was not tense. Both knew this conversation had been coming, that it was something they simply needed to discuss before they could move on, or risk getting in too deep, too early.  
  
“I-” Iwaizumi hesitated, trying to give himself the space to properly form his words. He’d always been better at showing his affection in physical or practical ways, by a small touch on the shoulder or making sure someone ate properly, rather than verbally communicating his feelings. But for you, he needed to try. “I want to give this the time it deserves, I guess.”  
  
You nodded, somehow understanding what he tried to say. “To be honest, this was never supposed to get so serious,” you said, choosing your words with deliberation. “Did Makki tell you when he set up the date?”  
  
“Kind of.”  
  
“Okay.” You took a deep breath. “I just wanted to meet some people to do fun stuff with, nice and easy. Spending so much time abroad made me lose touch with a lot of old friends and I don’t really talk to most of my family. That’s how Makki talked me into all of this in the first place,” you said, almost rambling at this point. “But this.. I can’t treat this light-heartedly any more.”  
  
You sighed in frustration and mussed up your hair, apparently having as much trouble stringing your words together as Iwaizumi did.  
  
“Look, I get that this is a weird situation,” you said, frowning. “I’m not here for very long, and whatever it is that we have going on now, will suddenly become long-distance then. _Ridiculously_ long-distance. I know we kind of talked about this before, but I just don’t want to drag you into something more serious and long-term than you were bargaining for.”  
  
Finally you fell quiet. Iwaizumi never took his eyes off you, watching the emotions go through your face, again seeing a bit of that insecurity he had noticed at the end of that first date. He reached out to brush his fingers against your leg, then rested his hand on your knee. “I don’t know where this is going or what’ll happen,” he said, slowly tracing his thumb over the fabric of your clothes. “All I know is what I want right now. There’s about six weeks left before you leave, and I want to spend them with you.”  
  
The smile that broke out on your face was positively radiant, somehow both joyful and vulnerable at once. It made Iwaizumi want to do everything in his power to see that smile every single day. And the fact that he was responsible for it, that his confession of wanting to be with you had sparked it into existence, rose goosebumps on his skin.  
  
Instead of answering him verbally, you leaned forward again. He could feel the heat of your body as you moved closer, the thumping in his heart increasing as you crossed the distance. Just as your lips were about to meet his, a sudden explosion in the movie made you jolt back in shock and turn your head to the TV.  
  
“Wait, we can’t be fooling around!” you said, holding Iwaizumi at an arm’s length. “You still got to see this movie!”  
  
He couldn’t help but chuckle at your distressed expression. Looks like it was time to fess up to the truth. “Actually, I saw it with Oikawa in the cinema when it came out,” he admitted, rubbing the back of his head.  
  
You softly cursed to yourself, muttering something about Oikawa beating you to all the good stuff with Iwaizumi.  
  
Iwaizumi let out a breathless laugh and leaned in to press a kiss on your neck. He lingered a little longer than necessary, nuzzling his nose just below your jawline. “Don’t worry, there’s lots of stuff I haven’t done with him yet.”  
  
When he sucked on an enticing patch of skin below your ear, you shuddered. However, you didn’t let this distract you. “...Yet?” There was a teasing lilt to your voice, and he could hear you were holding back a laugh. “Just what are your plans with him?”  
  
He groaned and let his forehead fall on your shoulder. Absolutely convinced that anything he said would only make it worse, Iwaizumi stayed quiet instead and moved his hands to your waist, trying to tug you closer. You stubbornly stayed in place and when he looked up, you grinned at him in a way that told him he’d never live this one down.  
  
“You shouldn’t be making a girl jealous like that,” you said, the grin growing ever wider. “Nothing good can come of it.”  
  
Iwaizumi lifted his head and leaned in close, rubbing your noses together and purposefully brushing his lips against yours. “What can I do to make it up to you?” he asked while his hands softly massaged your hips.  
  
“Hmmm~ make me dinner.”  
  
He blinked once, twice, trying to comprehend your answer. “Wait, what?”  
  
“Aww, come oonnn,” you said, swaying your body from side to side teasingly and clutching his shoulders a little tighter. “Make me dinner sometime! I want to eat what Iwaizumi Hajime cooks for himself on a normal evening.”  
  
The left-field request finally sunk in and Iwaizumi snorted in amusement. “I don’t think that’s a good deal for you, but sure.”  
  
You bit your lip and smiled. “I think I come out of this deal pretty darn good, thank you very much.”  
  
“Say that again after you taste my cooking,” Iwaizumi murmured, and returned his attention to that spot beneath your ear. You drew a shuddering breath and moaned softly.  
  
In the end, Iwaizumi went home at a surprisingly decent time. You had snuggled up against him, prying stories of college out of him (to learn more information about your fated rival, Oikawa, or so you claimed), while you told lively anecdotes about cultural mishaps during your time training in Texas. Between stories, Iwaizumi couldn’t help but take every opportunity to brush hair out of your eyes, or press a kiss to your temple. You returned his affection, by trailing a finger down his chest or nuzzling into the crook of his shoulder.  
  
But eventually you kicked him out of the house, since you needed to get up at an inhumane hour tomorrow to go to the Tsukuba Space Center for work. You walked him to the front door, a soft smile on your face.  
  
“So... dinner, huh?” Iwaizumi said, suspecting you intended to hang onto that promise.  
  
You nodded eagerly. “If it’s okay!”  
  
He gave you a crooked smile. “It’s fine. But let’s do it on the weekend, when I’m off work. And don’t think you get out of helping me,” he said, pressing a kiss on your forehead.  
  
“Sure, sure, I can play sous-chef for an evening,” you teased, then pulled him down for a proper kiss. His lips languidly moved against yours, a quiet promise for more to come. Your callused fingers drew over his jawline, then grazed through his short hair. The slight roughness made him shiver. “Goodnight,” you said after breaking the kiss.  
  
“Hmmm, goodnight,” Iwaizumi said, and pressed his lips against you again.  
  
Locking your arms around his neck, you giggled into the chaste kiss, but eventually you pushed him away. “Goodnight.. Hajime,” you echoed back to him.  
  
Iwaizumi breathed in deeply, feeling his entire body warm up at the way his first name sounded in your voice. He smiled and took a step away from you before his willpower proved too weak and he might never leave. He started walking away and when he looked back, you stood against the doorway, watching him go. You gave him a lazy wave along with a wistful smile, and Iwaizumi chuckled softly.  
  
No, he had no idea where this was going - but right then and there he could not imagine this path would lead somewhere he’d regret.  


* * *

Oikawa pretended he was not staring at his phone. Princess lay curled up on his lap, radiating heat. Honestly, the weather was too hot for cuddles, but Oikawa could never bring himself to deny her. Besides, she made a perfectly good excuse for why he couldn’t reach his phone and send you a message; once a cat sits, there is no moving her.  
  
This was exactly the kind of thing why Iwaizumi accused him of spoiling his cats rotten, but Oikawa never saw this as a problem. His hand stroked Princess’ long fur, effortlessly finding her favourite spots by habit.  
  
Still, the phone kept glaring in his line of sight.  
  
His eye twitched. Frustration bubbled up inside him, feeling angry with you for reaching out to him like this, at Iwaizumi for continuing to date you, at Hanamaki for introducing you in the first place - but mostly angry with himself.  
  
Somehow he always ended up being the coward in the bunch. Not explaining to Iwaizumi how he felt, avoiding that conversation in fear of losing what he had. He couldn’t even blame you, not really; it was Oikawa’s own damned fault you had ended up on that date together, and he was the idiot who kept talking to you until you gave him your number. He grit his teeth and used all his self-control to stop his hands from twitching, not wanting to aggravate the cat who would not hesitate to sink her claws in his thigh at any displeasure.  
  
Now your number waited for him in his contacts list, itching to be used. Since you didn’t have his, it was up to Oikawa to start a conversation - or not.  
  
He really should not.  
  
Even the purring of his cat could not drown out Oikawa’s annoyance. His mind screamed at him both to delete your number and to call you right that second. Hands twitching, Oikawa scowled. Princess purred like a motor, sending vibrations through the finger that scratched her just underneath her chin. She opened her eyes and stared up at Oikawa with bright green eyes. “Yes, yes, I know,” he muttered at her, annoyed at himself for moping and not making a decision.  
  
As though sensing that she was being used as an excuse, Princess stood up from his lap, brushed her fluffy tail against his nose, then jumped off and disappeared to find a spot elsewhere. Oikawa sighed and finally sat up to reach for his phone, still not knowing what he was going to do. He scrolled through the numerous names until he found yours, then his thumb hovered over the screen.  
  
A moment of pause.  
  
No matter what his decision would be, Oikawa felt like he was about to do something really, _really_ dumb.  
  
A voice inside his head begged him to instantly drop that phone and just leave you the hell alone. As rude as it might be to ignore you, he could always think of an excuse why he hadn’t contacted you, if anybody ever brought it up. He’d forgotten. Lost your number. Didn’t want to bother you. Still, Oikawa also was aware that he could not ignore you forever; he spend too much time with Iwaizumi for that.  
  
Oikawa groaned and let his head fall back on the couch, feeling thoroughly trapped. A dark thought inside him pointed out that basically all his troubles were solved by breaking you and Iwaizumi up, his one hope for a happy ending. A slightly healthier side reminded him that keeping Iwaizumi single forever did not exactly fix anything, creating nothing but an illusion of availability. Oikawa just needed to get the fuck over himself and move on.  
  
Easier said than done.  
  
He looked down on his phone again, staring at your name. With a shake of his head, he put it down and reached for the remote instead. Far better to just watch some TV to distract himself from making any bad decisions. Like seeking you out and risking to nurture his celebrity crush into something more. He definitely should keep as much distance as possible from you; Iwaizumi was already more than he could deal with. Oikawa zapped through the channels, trying to find something worth watching. A cooking show managed to somewhat grab his attention.  
  
Not ten seconds later, Oikawa picked up his phone and started writing a message.  
  
_So... which nebula is your favourite?_  
  
If he was going to torture himself over all this, might as well crash and burn in the most magnificent way, or so Oikawa’s bad judgement reasoned.  
  
The deed was done. A moment of silence - except for the sound of the television - and then Oikawa fully realised what his poor impulse-control had gotten him into. Oh God. That was definitely, one hundred percent sure, the wrong choice. He stared at his phone in horror, then dropped it on the couch as though burned. Eyes closed, he rubbed his temples, trying to figure out just how he had gotten himself in this situation. He groaned loudly and stood up from the couch, stalking around the house to find either of his cats to distract him. Anything to get him away from that phone, waiting for a response that he both dreaded and anticipated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! <3


	7. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What's this, an update?? *dramatic gasp* This one was a bitch to me, but lots of setup for stuff to come, hope you enjoy~ <3

Sending you that message definitely was one of the more impressive mistakes Oikawa made in his recent memory.  
  
Restless from waiting for a response from you, he’d been unable to get a good night’s sleep, and couldn’t bring himself to act as cheerful as usual in the morning. In fact, he’d been so sluggish that Kindaichi and Iwaizumi already were in the office once he got to work. So much for always being there first.  
  
“Oh, that’s rare,” Iwaizumi said, grinning at Oikawa while he nursed a steaming up of coffee. “Don’t tell me you stayed up all night again.”  
  
Oikawa rose an eyebrow. Iwaizumi commenting on Oikawa’s bad sleeping habits without actually telling him off? Was this it; had the long awaited alien body-snatching invasion finally started? “You’re in a good mood,” he said, narrowing his eyes.  
  
Iwaizumi shrugged and asked Kindaichi about his upcoming exam; was he feeling prepared? Needed any studying tips? Who’s the professor? Oh damn, I remember her, make sure to take an extra look at procedural law. Kindaichi nodded eagerly at any advice, looking slightly starry-eyed at his senior as always.  
  
Ignoring them, Oikawa grabbed his own coffee and stared at his phone instead.  
  
No response yet.  
  
Good, he didn’t want one anyway.  
  
Okay, then why did he keep looking to see if you had replied already? Oikawa grunted and put the phone down. He definitely did not want you to respond - maybe by some miracle his message had failed to deliver? Then again, he knew you’d been with Iwaizumi yesterday and it’s only morning now, so wasn’t it only logical that you hadn’t gotten back to him yet? Also, he definitely did not want you to anyway.  
  
...  
  
So why was there no response yet?  
  
“Good morning, lovely,” Hanamaki said, ruffling Oikawa’s hair. “You look like you had a rough night.”  
  
Oikawa gave him a foul look, quickly fixing his hair. “And you’re intolerably happy.”  
  
Hanamaki shrugged. “Hey, don’t blame me when you’re not your usual cheerful self.” As tempting as it was, Oikawa refrained from pointing out that Hanamaki actually was very much to blame for this, if he traced this problem down to the roots. You were his damned childhood friend. All his fault. But he noticed none of Oikawa’s inner turmoil and carefully studied Iwaizumi. “And you’re not your usual grumpy self.”  
  
“Is that right?” Iwaizumi said, a vague smile on his face while he got everything ready for a day of work.  
  
For a moment Hanamaki frowned at him, then his eyes shot open with realisation. “Oi, something happened yesterday, am I right?” He pointed an accusing finger at Iwaizumi. “You got laid, didn’t you?”  
  
Oikawa could almost physically feel the punch to his stomach. He turned away from the others to pretend leafing through some paperwork behind him, not trusting himself to keep a straight face. Though mere seconds passed by, it felt like time stretched on forever before Iwaizumi finally answered.  
  
“No,” he said, blunt and short. Oikawa could hear the exasperation in his voice.  
  
“Sure. Very quick on the denial there. I can’t believe you laid your hands on my beloved, treasured friend already. Greedy bastard.”  
  
Iwaizumi sighed. “If I stayed quiet you would’ve taken it as a yes, too. It’s a conversational trap, Hanamaki.”  
  
“So basically you haven’t answered my question at all? That sounds like a guilty man. I’m disappointed, I expected better from a lawyer.”  
  
“Actually-”  
  
Oikawa rolled his eyes and turned back around, needing the conversation to be over right this second. “All right, all right, that’s enough,” he said, trying to keep the sneer out of his voice. “You can do this on your own time, we need to get to work.”  
  
“You really are no fun when you don’t get your beauty sleep.” Hanamaki grinned, but turned to Kindaichi without further comment. “Okay, you heard him, let’s go dig out some more lies on Ebisawa’s end.” They already had three instances of the father claiming to be somewhere he wasn’t, and could always use more. Even if these events were probably not directly connected to the child, they might give the team extra grounds to pressure the judge into placing Katsu into custody with a family member, rather than staying with his parents.  
  
Oikawa breathed a sigh of relief. Mission change-the-subject was a success, and he hoped this would mark the start of a normal day, where he did not find himself involved in anything even remotely related to Iwaizumi’s dating life.  
  
Really, considering how the last couple of weeks went for him, he should have known better.  
  
During the morning everything was smooth sailing (insofar that was possible, with the trial date looming closer and closer over them), but when lunch time came around, Hanamaki jumped off his chair and grabbed Iwaizumi by the arm. “I’m buying you lunch today!” Iwaizumi grumbled a little as Hanamaki dragged him out, but did not protest too much against a free lunch - even if he probably would get grilled about last night’s events.  
  
“Are you coming too, Oikawa-san?” Kindaichi asked, but Oikawa waved him off, he’d eat in the workroom today (shut up Iwa-chan, it still counts as lunch even if it’s mostly milkbread).  
  
Then suddenly the office was quiet, leaving Oikawa alone with his thoughts.  
  
Great.  
  
It was one of those no-win situations; he didn’t want to be around his colleagues right now, but being by himself was not exactly a good alternative. He might make more stupid decisions.  
  
To Oikawa’s defence, he was halfway through his second piece of bread before he checked again if you sent him a response yet.  
  
He blinked as he stared at the barrage of pictures you had thrown at him through the morning, a ton of different photographs and artwork of various nebulae, concluded by a short message a the end. _You’re evil don’t make me choose!_  
  
A slow grin spread on his face, the fretting part of his brain shutting off while turning on breezy-charming-sociable Tooru mode. _What if the fate of the Earth depends on you making this choice~?_  
  
In no time at all you replied. _Evil I say. Never should’ve given you my number. You can’t make me do this._  
  
_I tell you mine, you tell me yours?_  


* * *

“Ah, you’re right on time, was it easy to find?”  
  
With a grin you presented a bottle of sake to Iwaizumi. “Yeah, no problem!” You slipped off your shoes and pressed a soft kiss on Iwaizumi’s lips. “So, what’s on the menu for tonight?”  
  
Iwaizumi chuckled as he took the sake from you, deliberately letting his hands brush against yours. “Come on in and see.” He led you further into the house, taking you to the kitchen where he had started with the food prep.  
  
You glanced around you curiously, and Iwaizumi felt vaguely self-conscious at you studying his home. That afternoon he’d done an extra bit of tidying up, though he always kept the place neat. You smiled as you were guided to the kitchen, eyes instantly going to the shelf with spices, then studying the various ingredients on the counter. “Oohh, shrimp?”  
  
For two people, the kitchen was a little cramped, but would still do just fine. Iwaizumi walked over to the countertop, then picked up a chopping knife and offered it to you. “Are you okay with mincing the onion?”  
  
You gave him a look, trying to look stern but the effort was ruined by the constant smile that threatened to take over your lips. “Iwaizumi Hajime, it’s not very nice to try and make a girl cry when you’re supposed to be cooking her dinner.” But you still took the knife and went to work while Iwaizumi continued what he’d been doing; peeling and deveining the shrimp.  
  
“We’re making curry,” Iwaizumi said, kind of enjoying the way that your elbow sometimes bumped into his arm as you cut. “It’s a family recipe, my mum taught me how to make it.”  
  
“Oh? It isn’t like a family secret, right? Is it okay that I’m seeing all of this?” you asked, one corner of your lips quirking upward.  
  
Iwaizumi chuckled. “Trust me, mum’s a big fan of sharing. If anything, she’ll be disappointed if you can’t make it by yourself after tonight.”  
  
“Should I expect a quiz?”  
  
“It’s always safest to be prepared. But don’t worry, she’ll blame me for being a bad teacher if you don’t pass.”  
  
Simultaneously you laughed and sniffled, the onion starting to affect you. Then you got quiet, and for a moment there was nothing but the sounds of prepping food in the kitchen. Your phone buzzed, but you ignored it. “Hey,” you said after you finished mincing, turning to Iwaizumi with a thoughtful expression, “family is very important to you, isn’t it?”  
  
He smiled as he pulled the digestive tract from the last shrimp. “Yeah, I’m pretty close with my mum.” Iwaizumi had a lot of fond memories of his mother teaching him to cook, of burning rice to a black crisp and gradually getting better, even if his food still did not compare to hers. He grew up with the mindset that food was a way to show affection, to reinforce friendships and deepen bonds. Though your request for a home-cooked meal had caught him off guard, Iwaizumi secretly felt quite happy to be doing this with you. He hesitated, wondering if this was the right moment to ask about your family, but in the end he couldn't bring himself to do it. “Could you chop up the garlic?”  
  
“Hang on a second, gonna check that message first.” You shot him an apologetic look. “I swear, I won’t play around with my phone all evening, I just need to keep an eye on it in case it’s work. Wouldn’t be the first time a meeting got rescheduled at the last moment.”  
  
“It’s fine,” Iwaizumi said. He cooked the onion in a large skillet, continuously stirring and keeping a close eye on it to make sure he didn’t take them too far. A soft giggle from you made him glance to the side. “Guess it’s not work?”  
  
You shook your head, then put the phone away without replying to whatever made you laugh. “Nah, just Oikawa warning me about food poisoning.”  
  
Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. Only this morning Oikawa had accompanied Iwaizumi to the market, whining that it had been so long ago since Iwaizumi had cooked for him (it was only two weeks ago). Dammit, he shouldn’t have spoiled Oikawa back when they were roommates. Iwaizumi sighed; well, at least Oikawa had helped him figure out what to cook for tonight. “Oikawa’s just jealous that he’s not invited,” he said. A small voice in the back of his head wondered just how often you talked to Oikawa these days, but he squashed the thought.  
  
“Oh? Is eating a meal made by you considered such a valuable commodity?”  
  
He chuckled. “Don’t get your expectations up too high.”  
  
“Too late. Don’t think I haven’t seen the dough resting there. Do you seriously make your own bread? That’s hard-core,” you sighed, working your way through the cloves of garlic.  
  
“Just some naan.”  
  
“Sure,” you said, holding back laughter. “If you keep being this humble it’ll make me look bad, you know.”  
  
Iwaizumi smiled and interrupted dinner preparations to press a kiss against your temple, his lips lingering while he took in your scent. “Nah, it’s good that you’re aware of how great you are,” he murmured, then pulled back, leaving you with a blush on your cheeks.  
  
“Okay, but when did you get so smooth?” you said, a light stammer in your voice.  
  
“I learn from the best,” he said, grinning at you.  
  
You snorted and finished the last of the garlic. “And then you mean Oikawa, right? Damn, that boy’s smooth as hell.”  
  
Iwaizumi’s eyebrow shot up almost all the way to his hairline. “He hasn’t been bothering you, has he?” He gave you a concerned look, and prayed that you would not notice the jealousy roaring in his stomach if he hid it behind a layer of protectiveness. Dammit, he was better than this - there was a lot to be said about Oikawa, but he’d never mess with Iwaizumi’s relationships.  
  
“Aw, no! He’s a funny guy, makes me laugh.” You turned to him with a teasing smile. “But you are sweet to worry.”  
  
Shaking his head, Iwaizumi removed the skillet from the stove to cool down. You still looked at him, probably enjoying the way his ears were turning red, so he quickly changed the subject. “This needs a moment to cool, can you start adding the rest then? I’ll work on the bread.”  
  
“Sure, I can handle that.”  
  
You watched how he took a small ball of dough and started rolling it out in a thin circle. Iwaizumi couldn’t help but blush a little under your inquisitive gaze, the way you carefully studied his hands as he worked. Dammit, the whole point of focusing on cooking was so you _wouldn’t_ make him feel even more flustered. Luckily for his sanity, you tore your eyes away and started to stir the garlic, adding more ingredients per Iwaizumi’s instructions.  
  
Together, it did not take long to finish the meal. Iwaizumi adjusted the amount of spice to your preference, though you insisted on keeping it close to the original recipe. You waved your hand over the skillet, taking in wafts of the intense scent. “It smells delicious,” you said, smiling at Iwaizumi while he got out some bowls.  
  
Soon enough you bounced to the living room, somehow managing to carry two small cups and two plates with naan, bottle of sake tucked beneath your arm, while excitedly chanting ‘ _kotatsu_ ’ under your breath. Iwaizumi followed with two full bowls of food, watching you with bemusement.  
  
“So it’s true? No kotatsu in America?” he asked, putting down the food and taking the bottle from you to open it.  
  
You wiggled into a comfortable position, then pouted up at him. “Nope. They’re total savages.”  
  
After filling the cups, Iwaizumi settled down at the adjacent corner. His knee bumped into yours under the kotatsu, and he couldn’t bring himself to readjust his position. Iwaizumi and you both muttered a soft _itadakimasu_ and started eating. He tore off a piece of the naan using just his right hand, then scooped up some of the curry - making sure to get a shrimp in there. Still, even while eating he kept a close eye on your face as you got your first taste, and he fought to hold back the smile when your eyes widened.  
  
Quickly you swallowed food and gave Iwaizumi a startled look, then dove back for more. He could tell you tried to eat slowly, to saviour the meal, but even he was forced to admit to himself that the dish had come out pretty well today.  
  
“‘Not a good deal’, he said.” You shook your head, doing a vague attempt at imitating Iwaizumi’s voice. “‘Don’t get your expectations up too high,’ he said. Seriously, bless your mum for teaching you to cook like this.” You breathed in deeply, taking in the aroma, then ate another mouthful.  
  
“I’ll pass along the compliment,” Iwaizumi said, chuckling. He took a sip of the sake, but the warmth that spread through him had very little to do with the alcohol. He did not think the food was quite as spectacular as you were making it out to be, but your enthusiasm still made his chest feel tight.  
  
“Seriously, got any more family recipes? Couple of secret ones, maybe? If this is already that good, the family secrets must be out of this world!”  
  
Iwaizumi shot you a look of mild exasperation. “No big secrets. Like I said, mum is big on sharing.” Once again he hesitated, and instead watched how you scooped up another shrimp, happily eating the curry. “I...”  
  
He trailed off as soon as he spoke up, uncertain how to continue. Part of him wanted to pretend he had remained silent, but you glanced sideways at him with questioning eyes, quietly munching on your food.  
  
“I don’t want to pry, but...” He could tell by the way your smile drooped down that you already knew what he was about to say. “Last time you said you didn’t talk with most of your family. It’s fine if you don’t want to talk about it, it’s really none of my business,” Iwaizumi quickly added, and tore off a piece of naan for another scoop of curry.  
  
Teeth tugging on your bottom lip, you studied Iwaizumi and the moment became more weighted than he had intended. Stupid. He could read on your face that you tried to decide whether to answer or not. Though he told himself it was okay if you didn’t, he still felt a surge of relief when you rubbed the back of your head and slowly nodded.  
  
“It’s just...” You sighed, and drank some of the sake to delay your answer. “My parents have always been really protective of me. Expected me to wind up in some respectable job that pays well and is _safe_. They think it’s selfish of me, what I’m doing. Always worried about what could go wrong.” You grimaced as you pinched the bridge of your nose. “And I mean, fair is fair, there are less dangerous career paths I could have gone for!”  
  
You let out a small laugh, but it was humourless and Iwaizumi did not join in, instead looking at you intently.  
  
“Look, it’s not like I burned any bridges,” you said, fiddling with a rogue strand of hair, “but things just became so strained and they’re so fussy, trying to change my mind every time I talk to them. So I figured I should just keep my distance for now. At least until I get back safely. Which I will.”  
  
You grinned and reached out to nudge Iwaizumi’s shoulder, obviously trying to wipe that serious expression off his face.  
  
“It’s not that bad! Makki is basically like a brother anyway and his parents are always asking me to come over for dinner.” A melancholic smile appeared on your face as you took some naan and dabbed it into the curry. “I’m sure they’ll come around after I’m back.”  
  
Iwaizumi wondered if you added that last part that for his benefit or your own. He gave you a long look as he mulled over what was the best response, barely realising that his left hand had moved forward to softly brush against your arm. “I think you’re amazing for doing what you’re passionate about. For going after your dreams,” he finally said. His chest clenched at the flash of insecurity in your eyes, gone again before he even knew for sure that he saw it. “I’m sorry they don’t see that.”  
  
A crooked smile appeared on your face, a little bittersweet but still genuine. “Thanks. I mean it.” Not wanting to let the food get cold, you scooped up some more curry. You took a long time to chew, as though working through your thoughts at the same time. After swallowing, you turned your attention back to Iwaizumi. “So how about you? Fancy lawyer man, was that your big dream?”  
  
He chuckled. “Well, my dad always used to say my first dream job was being a Godzilla-tamer. I can’t remember it, but mum still keeps the drawings to prove it.”  
  
Your mouth fell open. “Oh shit, that’s _adorable_ ,” you said, a giddy tremor in your voice. “Please tell me your mother is the kind of woman I can bribe into getting me pictures of them.”  
  
Inwardly, Iwaizumi groaned; his mum would definitely create a lovingly-made scrapbook filled with all his childhood drawings and embarrassing photos for anyone showing even the most remote interest in his youth. “Sorry, those do count as a family secret.”  
  
You pouted at him, scrutinising his poker face with an agonisingly sharp gaze. “I’m sure I’ll be able to work out a deal with her.”  
  
Afterwards you insisted on helping him clean the kitchen and loading the dishwasher. Just as you put in the last bowl, Iwaizumi couldn’t resist wrapping his arms around your waist. He nuzzled his face into the crook of your shoulder, hair tickling his nose. One of your hands reached back to run through his hair, drawing a soft hum from him. “I wish you could stay longer,” he said in a muffled voice, pressing his chest a little tighter against your back. He felt a little embarrassed for expressing the sentimentality, but had drunk just enough sake tonight to loosen up his tongue.  
  
Groaning, you turned around in his arms and sought his lips. He eagerly responded, tongue slipping inside your mouth. His hands dug into your hips when you sucked on the tip of his tongue. Too soon you broke away. “Work is a bitch,” you said, lips brushing against his as you spoke.  
  
“I have skype on my laptop, you can just talk to that, uhhh, payload mission planner person here,” he murmured, stealing another kiss. Honestly, Iwaizumi just wanted to damn timezones to hell.  
  
You whined softly. “So cruel, tempting me like this.” Soft puffs of breath fell on his neck as you rubbed your nose just below his jaw. It rose goosebumps all over his skin. “All my files are at home, I need them.”  
  
He shook his head, fingers curling into your hair. “I’m sure you know all the important stuff, you’re smart.”  
  
“Flattery won’t get you anywhere, sir.”  
  
A slightly exaggerated sigh pushed past Iwaizumi’s lips. He cupped the back of your head and caught your eyes. “Are you sure? Because you look absolutely lovely tonight.”  
  
“I know, right!”  
  
Iwaizumi couldn’t help but smile at the mischievous glint in your eyes. Still, his fondness mingled with a bitter aftertaste. “Sorry, but you can’t blame me for trying to keep you around a little while longer.”  
  
You sighed, the mood turning a little more serious. “No, I’m sorry, I hate that I won’t be in town much for a while.”  
  
When you first told Iwaizumi that you would spend a lot of time at the Tsukuba Space Center for the next two weeks, the implications had not quite sunk in. Two weeks of little contact, he could handle that, that wasn’t so bad. Barely five seconds later his brain had caught up and done the math for just how big of a chunk that tore out of the remainder of your time here. Now he was tempted to take some vacation days off and follow you to Ibaraki, his own work be damned.  
  
Iwaizumi leaned his forehead against yours, breathing out slowly. “Work is work,” he finally said. “That’s just how the situation is. We’ll just have to make the most of when you’re here.”  
  
You gave him a crooked smile and pressed a featherlight kiss on the corner of his mouth. “Hey, maybe it’s just as well,” you said, and giggled at Iwaizumi’s arched eyebrow. “You got your big trial coming up, I can’t be running around here, distracting you from work. Sad I won’t be here to see it, I bet you look incredibly sexy in court with your fancy sui-”  
  
Rolling his eyes, Iwaizumi kissed you long and hard to try and hide the flush of embarrassment that washed over him. His hands cupped your cheeks, encapsulating your face with heat. He tugged at your bottom lip with his teeth, somehow trying to give you some payback for your teasing. When he pulled back, Iwaizumi was satisfied to see you breathing heavily with eyes closed.  
  
“I’ll walk you to the station,” he murmured, brushing a stray lock of hair behind your ear. If he kept you much longer, you would be late for your video meeting. As much as Iwaizumi wished things were different, he was not selfish enough for that.  
  
“You don’t have to,” you said, but he could tell the objection was half-hearted, more out of habit than anything else.  
  
“I know,” he said, brushing his thumb over your cheek. “But I want to.”  
  
You smiled at him, then pressed yourself against him in a tight hug, arms loosely hanging over his shoulders and face buried in the crook of his neck. Slowly, Iwaizumi wrapped his arms around your waist and rested his cheek on the top of your head. He almost missed it when you spoke. “Thanks,” you mumbled quietly, “for tonight.”  
  
The way your fingers started to clench into the fabric of his shirt, told Iwaizumi loud and plain that you were not just talking about the food.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


	8. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A big thanks to my fruit spouse for helping me with a certain part! and even more thanks for pretty much being my unofficial beta reader by now haha <3<3
> 
> It's a long one, but with a good reason! (let's just say that the story's rating is finally relevant :3c )

How had he ended up like this?  
  
Iwaizumi kept wondering this to himself. He sat next to you, staring up at the projected night sky above him. On your other side was Oikawa, leaned close to you to whisper at each other whenever a lady’s voice stopped echoing through the dome to supply information on what was shown. Your arm was hooked around Iwaizumi’s, fingers absentmindedly tracing figures on his skin. All three wore 3D-glasses, an extra feature of the planetarium’s show.  
  
For some reason, whenever a nebula was illustrated across the dome, Oikawa started whispering a little more urgently, nudging your shoulder. “Stop it, I can’t!” you would try to huff back at him, but the laughter in your voice betrayed your amusement.  
  
Iwaizumi found his hand resting on top of yours, lacing the fingers together. You smiled at him and shifted your weight to lean against him. “Please, _please_ tell me if we’re third-wheeling you,” you murmured, lips brushing over his ear. “Are you having a good time?”  
  
“It’s beautiful,” he said, eyes focused on the night sky above. The presenter started explaining about the galaxy on display, apparently on a collision course with the Milky Way (several billion years in the future), and Iwaizumi divided his attention between the show and watching your reactions. Eventually Oikawa tugged on your sleeve again, and you giggled at a muffled comment.  
  
Seriously. _How_ had he ended up like this?  
  
Iwaizumi sighed and told himself to stop fussing over it. Honestly, he was having a good time, and it was quite quite clear how this had happened.  
  
With everyone’s schedules so filled up with work, Iwaizumi and you had struggled to set up another date before the trial. His only options were in the weekend, but Hanamaki had hogged you for the Saturday, and Iwaizumi felt like he couldn’t complain about that. Hanamaki knew you for much longer, after all; Iwaizumi figured there was some kind of seniority in play here.  
  
However, when he discovered that Oikawa was angling for an outing to the planetarium on Sunday, Iwaizumi had found himself on the phone with you. He tried extremely hard to keep the grumpiness out of his voice because _dammit it wasn’t your fault_ and he absolutely refused to be That Guy who wouldn’t let you decide on your own how and with whom to spend your time. Iwaizumi didn’t know whether he had been so obvious or if you simply had a sixth sense, but you innocently suggested he came along as well; “You’re friends with Oikawa, right? Should be fun!”  
  
And now he sat next to you, staring up at a projected, but still breathtaking galaxy, enjoying the warmth of your hand inside his and biting back a shiver whenever you leaned close to whisper something in his ear. Meanwhile Oikawa, who had been in a surly mood recently, seemed more cheerful than he had in a while.  
  
All in all, Iwaizumi had to admit this was actually fun. He really enjoyed listening to you and Oikawa talk about this stuff, even if he didn’t always have the knowledge to join in. The passion came off both like waves, faces beaming with enthusiasm. Iwaizumi spent the rest of the show seeing less of the projections, and more of you and Oikawa, grinning at each other and him, pulling him into your quiet conversations often enough to prevent him from feeling like a third wheel.  
  
Eventually the presentation ended, and the three of you walked out of the dome, handing the 3D-glasses to an employee.  
  
Iwaizumi resisted the urge to reach out for your hand, not wanting to be too affectionate in front of an audience (especially one that included Oikawa). Instead he chuckled at your wide smile and nudged your arm. “You look like you enjoyed yourself.”  
  
Your expression turned serious and you gave him a solemn nod.  
  
“It was.. stellar.”  
  
A moment of silence fell, until Iwaizumi snorted and Oikawa rolled his eyes. “I can’t believe you’re one of _those_ kinds of people. Makki must have been a bad influence on you,” he said, flipping his hair.  
  
“Shut up,” you laughed, pushing your fist against his arm, “you’re just jealous you can’t come up with any of your own.”  
  
Oikawa let out a small yelp of indignation and rubbed his arm, despite the fact you had obviously put no force behind the mock-punch. Before Oikawa could respond, Iwaizumi decided to butt in. “True, you like jokes a lot better when you’re the one who makes them.”  
  
“Teaming up against me? So unfair!” He huffed and crossed his arms. “I make the effort to come up with the great idea of going here, and this is the thanks I get?”  
  
“Aw, I’m sorry, Oikawa,” you said and patted him on the back, but Iwaizumi had become immune to Oikawa’s guilt-tripping methods long ago. “Hey, you guys want to check out the exhibit? I saw something about telescopes, should be cool.”  
  
Those turned out to be the magic words that cheered Oikawa back up. You dragged them over to the exhibit, where they had various telescopes, some disassembled to show the different parts, while a huge one at least six meters long stood in full glory. Iwaizumi also saw a couple of models of celestial bodies, some demonstrating how the usage of telescopes had changed humanity’s view of them.  
  
He tried to focus on the displays, he really did, but Iwaizumi kept finding himself distracted by the company. You flitted from one place to the next, occasionally finding something where you lingered, spending a long time reading the supplied information and studying the display. Something about the way you could lose yourself in your concentration, as though nothing else existed in the world, made Iwaizumi smile. Not to mention you wore a pleated skirt, swishing as you moved, with knee-high socks underneath that looked so good on you that Iwaizumi kept finding his gaze drawn back to them.  
  
On the other hand, the longer Iwaizumi watched Oikawa, the deeper he frowned.  
  
Iwaizumi prided himself on knowing Oikawa quite well by now. They spent a lot of time together at the university, did their final internship at the same company, and even ended up both getting jobs there. It’d been a good couple of years, and Iwaizumi had gotten very familiar with the manual of ‘How to Deal with Oikawa Tooru’.  
  
But for the first time in a long time, Iwaizumi had trouble reading his friend’s mood. Oikawa was being very happy and friendly, taking every chance to tease you, and on the surface there was no reason to assume he faked his cheerfulness.  
  
Iwaizumi knew Oikawa better than that.  
  
He had seen Oikawa smile far too often at a fellow student, then carefully analysing them once they left the room, contemplating their pressure points and weaknesses. He witnessed all the times that Oikawa dealt with the next girl that darted around him, fishing for a date or some indication of his feelings for her, while Oikawa somehow effortlessly managed to walk a line where he politely smiled and talked to her without giving her any blatant reason to believe he felt more for her, but somehow never outright rejected her either.  
  
Iwaizumi sighed at the memories, and how much tension it had initially caused between them before they came to an understanding.  
  
He still didn’t quite know why Oikawa even felt the need for the pretence, for building that kind of barrier around himself, but Iwaizumi prided himself on his capability to pierce through it.  
  
Except, today he couldn’t.  
  
As much as he tried, Iwaizumi genuinely could not figure out whether Oikawa’s happy friendliness was faked or not. That had not happened in years, and it bothered him. Iwaizumi sighed and watched how you and Oikawa were huddled in front of a gigantic digital rendering of a nebula. Conflicted over his next course of action, he decided he had no choice but to let it go for now. This was not the moment to bring it up anyway, and he didn’t want to let anything sour a perfectly good afternoon with people important to him.  
  
“I’m just saying, I don’t see it,” Oikawa said just as Iwaizumi walked up close.  
  
You puffed out a miffed sigh and gestured at the image. “Just look at those cute fuzzy edges! You’re seriously telling me you don’t see a little Eskimo in there?”  
  
Iwaizumi couldn’t resist putting a lose arm around your waist and he tried to figure out what you were looking at. The little plaque told him the nebula was called ‘NGC 2392’ or the ‘Eskimo Nebula’. “Are the edges a parka hood?” he asked, and a radiant smile spread over your face. Iwaizumi cleared his throat in embarrassment, knowing he felt far too proud over recognising an image in a celestial object. Still, if it made you look that happy...  
  
Oikawa let out a little huff. “So is that the answer then? Of all the nebulae out there, this one’s your favourite?” He sounded like a ‘yes’ would personally offend him.  
  
Whining softly, you swayed back and forth on your feet. Iwaizumi’s eyes glid down to the patch of bare skin between skirt and socks. “I don’t knooow. Why this obsession with favourites anyway? Why can’t I divide my love equally? M- maybe a top ten?”  
  
“That’s the coward’s way out and you know it.”  
  
Iwaizumi snorted. “Trashykawa, favourite scifi series, right now.”  
  
“Iwa-chan, no fair!” Oikawa yelped, looking almost tearful at the prospect of having to choose.  
  
The harsh nickname made you raise an eyebrow. “Oh, so you two have _that_ kind of friendship?” you said, chuckling. “Good to know.”  
  
Oikawa crossed his arms and tilted his chin up as he sniffed. “I’m sorry you had to see this side of Iwa-chan, but perhaps it’s better that you found out so soon.”  
  
Your grin was almost devilish. “What side? The one where he saves me from your evil questions?” You looped your arms around Iwaizumi’s and pressed your cheek against his shoulder. “Or when he called you out on being a hypocrite?”  
  
A look of horror spread over Oikawa’s face, his eyes empty as though staring into the void. “Nowhere is safe,” he said to nobody in particular, a crack in his voice.  
  
Taking pity, you patted him on the back. “Hey, Oikawa?” He gave you a look of utter distrust, but you just smiled. “Ask me what the Milky Way’s favourite music is.”  
  
Obviously suspecting a trap, Oikawa pursed his lips. “...What is the Milky Way’s favourite music?” he said after a long pause, eyes narrowed at you.  
  
“A nep _tune_.”  
  
Silence stretched between the three of you, Iwaizumi giving you a flat look while Oikawa’s eye twitched. The expectant smile on your face never wavered despite the lack of enthusiasm, and Iwaizumi couldn’t help but be infected by it.  
  
“I can’t believe I actually used to think you were a cool person,” Oikawa said, his face despondent and a little tear in his eye.  
  
You grinned and squeezed his shoulder. “I’m sorry you had to see this side of me, but perhaps it’s better you found out so soon,” you said, even taking care to emulate Oikawa’s flippant tone.  
  
For a moment Iwaizumi worried you had broken Oikawa, a shadow hanging over his face that was stuck in a forced smile. Then suddenly he bounced back into a cheerful demeanour, smoothly changing the subject by redirecting your attention to a large 3D model of a star system. Nobody was fooled by the act, but you and Iwaizumi exchanged an amused look and indulged Oikawa.  
  
The rest of the afternoon you spent in relative peace, snooping out every corner of the exhibit and afterwards grabbing a bite to eat at a place nearby. Iwaizumi did not take long to realise he should have found a way to ditch Oikawa before this. His brow furrowed deeper and darker as Oikawa continued regaling you about stories from their days as roommates.  
  
“And you have to realise,” Oikawa said with a smug look on his face, “by then Iwa-chan was so pale he almost looked like a ghost. I kept trying to make him get some rest, but (Name)-chan, he’s _so_ stubborn!”  
  
Iwaizumi twitched, torn between staying silent or pointing out that Oikawa’s fussing had pissed him off so much that he tried to power through that flu on principle alone. In the end he kept quiet, concentrating on your touch instead. Though your focus was on Oikawa and his tale of Iwaizumi’s suffering, you kept idly tracing circles over the back of his hand, fingertips brushing against his knuckles and making him shiver.  
  
“So,” Oikawa continued, “despite my hardest efforts to make him just email the professor and get some rest, Iwa-chan showed up for his presentation anyway and we’re all just waiting for this to go wrong.” He sighed dramatically and flipped his hair, then gave Iwaizumi a stern look. “Didn’t even get past the first slide before he passed out in the middle of the lecture hall. We could see the exact moment his soul left his body.”  
  
Iwaizumi rolled his eyes. He still maintained he technically hadn’t _passed out_ ; he never lost consciousness, but that never stopped Oikawa from making the story sound more dramatic than it was. Sure, Iwaizumi could argue, but he honestly didn’t think this was worth the effort. Pick your battles and all that.  
  
“And guess who had to drag his sick butt all the way back to the dorm?” Oikawa sniffed, as though Iwaizumi had done him the greatest possible wrong in the world.  
  
“You poor thing,” you said with a grin, elbow on the table and resting your cheek in the palm of your hand. “That must have been incredibly hard on you.”  
  
“Oh, you think that was the worst of it?”  
  
Your eyes widened and you let out a small gasp at the prospect of a dramatic plot twist. Iwaizumi felt your fingers squeeze around his hand, and despite knowing what Oikawa was about to tell you, he couldn’t help the lazy smile on his face. The restaurant was warm and quiet, the food tasty, and the relaxed atmosphere eased him into a feeling of almost drowsy contentedness.  
  
Oikawa leaned in closer, the same petulant frown on his face that he always had when telling this part of the story. “So me, an innocent and good Samaritan, helps his dear friend back to bed out of the goodness of his heart, and how does he repay me?”  
  
“How?” you asked, playing the perfect audience by waiting for his answer with bated breath.  
  
Iwaizumi endured the foul look that Oikawa gave him.  
  
“I was wearing my favourite sweater that day, you know,” Oikawa said, pouting.  
  
“I know.”  
  
“The one with the space invader print.”  
  
“...I know.”  
  
“Never found one quite like it again.”  
  
“Yes, I know,” Iwaizumi said, though he was tempted to point out that those kinds of sweater prints came in endless varieties and it really shouldn’t be that hard to find. He didn’t, already long ago resigned to the fact he would never live this one down.  
  
Blinking, you turned your head from one to the other. “Wait, he didn’t...?” You trailed off and lifted your head from your hand, pointing a finger at Iwaizumi.  
  
Oikawa let out a glum sigh. “I never got the smell out,” he lamented, resting a dramatic hand on his forehead.  
  
You met Iwaizumi’s eyes and the admonishment in your face was almost convincing, if it weren’t for the mischievous curl that hinted around your lips. “Hope you repaid him for that!”  
  
“I never stopped paying for it,” Iwaizumi grumbled. Almost every mutual acquaintance of them knew that story, and there was no end in sight. Fair was fair though; after that Iwaizumi started taking far better care of himself, resolute to never repeat that incident again.  
  
You giggled and for a second Iwaizumi thought you were going to lean in for a kiss, your eyes flitting over his face with a soft smile on your face. Then you seemed to remember the company and shook it off. You turned to Oikawa instead, that sweet smile turning wicked. “Please, _please_ tell me what he’s like when he’s sick. Did he act like a big toughie until the end?”  
  
That loud groan from Oikawa was entirely uncalled for, if you asked Iwaizumi. “You have no idea,” he said, making a flippant hand gesture. “I didn’t even need to feel his temperature to know he had a fever, and Iwa-chan still wanted to pretend it was just a cold.”  
  
Iwaizumi could feel his ears turning red. Luckily the evening was winding down, the food soon gone and after some bickering over the bill (mostly by Iwaizumi and Oikawa), so you only had a limited time to interrogate Oikawa for juicy details that Iwaizumi wasn’t ready for you to hear yet. They left the restaurant before any permanent damage was done, leaving his dignity relatively intact. Iwaizumi suspected that Oikawa took it easy on him, something he’d have to thank his friend for later.  
  
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Iwa-chan,” Oikawa said, happily waving at them when they got to the train stop. “This was great, (Name)-chan, we should do it again sometime without the chaperon~”  
  
“Definitely, I’ll let you know when work has gotten less crazy so we can set something up!” You waved back at him, while Iwaizumi just grunted a simple ‘goodnight’.  
  
As soon as Oikawa’s train left, you turned to Iwaizumi.  
  
Your serious expression initially startled him, as though you were studying his face in an attempt to find something. He recovered quickly, his hands finding yours and he pressed a soft kiss on your knuckles. “Do you want me to get you a cab?”  
  
You shook your head. “It’s not that far, I’d rather walk.” The lines in your face softened, and you laced your fingers with Iwaizumi’s. You seemed to be waiting for something but unable to ask for it yourself, giving him an expectant look instead.  
  
Iwaizumi couldn’t help but smile, knowing exactly what you wanted from him. “Shall I walk you home, then?”  
  
“I’d love that,” you said with a relieved grin.  
  
He never let go of your hand on the way to your apartment. A soft late summer brought ideal weather for an evening stroll, though you stayed more quiet than usual. Despite this you somehow still managed to extract more stories from Iwaizumi, and he found himself telling you about the first time he went to the movies with his dad, a theatrical re-release of the old _Ghidorah, the Three-Headed Monster_. You laughed fondly at his awkward attempts to describe the big fight scene between four monsters from memory and you tried to get him to re-enact them, sound effects and all. Just as you started telling him about your first cinema movie, Iwaizumi realised they had reached your front door.  
  
You looped your arms around his neck and leaned in to softly brush your lips over his, barely counting as a kiss. Before Iwaizumi could deepen the touch into a proper kiss, you put a finger on his bottom lip. “Hey, umm... Want to come inside for coffee?”  
  
He did not have to think long on an answer.  
  
And like that, Iwaizumi suddenly found himself sitting in your living room, throat dry and hands clammy, waiting while you made coffee. Inconspicuously he tried to wipe his palms on the couch cushions, swallowing thickly while you happily chatted at him. _Don’t jump to conclusions_ , he told himself. _Maybe she just wants to talk more_.  
  
“Hey, so I was thinking, since we cooked one of your family meals, maybe I could return the favour?” you said cheerfully, as though trying to prove Iwaizumi’s point. “Maybe after you’re done with the case!”  
  
“Ah, yeah I agree,” Iwaizumi said, a little distracted by the buzzing of his phone. He fished it out of his back pocket and saw a notification of Oikawa’s instagram, showing a picture he had taken this afternoon of you and him together, both wearing big grins.  
  
Iwaizumi’s stomach instantly started churning uncomfortably. Anyone who saw the picture could easily mistake you for a happy couple. It left him feeling off-balance, somehow a reminder of how close you came to dating Oikawa instead of him, and how that might have ended up if things had gone differently. The picture seemed like physical evidence of that scenario having a positive outcome, and as irrational as it was, Iwaizumi felt a flare of jealousy rush through him, stabbing inside his abdomen.  
  
Before he even realised you had left the kitchen, you already sat next to him, two steaming cups of coffee on the table. Iwaizumi jumped, quickly putting his phone away. “Hey, you okay?” you asked, a light frown etched in your eyebrows.  
  
Ah dammit, just how obvious had his feelings been to read? Iwaizumi quietly cursed himself, hoping you didn’t think he was upset with you or something like that. He stammered - _dammit_ why was stringing words together suddenly such an impossible task?  
  
“Sorry if I was too forward, didn’t mean to make you nervous or... presume anything,” you said, running a distracted hand through your hair. “We won’t do anything you don’t want to.”  
  
Iwaizumi blinked at you, barely registering the words. “Wait, what?”  
  
You gave him a Look. “Hajime, I invited you up for coffee,” you said, the words laced with an edge of exasperation. “A girl can’t get less subtle than that unless she literally asks you to fuck her.”  
  
Your directness sent a flush up Iwaizumi’s neck and ears. “S- sorry, I got distracted,” he said. “I’m here now.”  
  
Yes. He was the one here with you, in your house, on your couch. No use in speculating over meaningless what-ifs and run over endless hypothetical scenarios. Not when you sat right in front of him. Iwaizumi smiled, his unease falling away as he took your hand. He followed every palm line with his thumb, but when he traced your calluses you tried to pull away.  
  
By now Iwaizumi had realised you were a little self-conscious of them, but he loved your calluses. They were tangible proof of how hard you worked and he adored the slight roughness when you brushed them over his skin. So instead of letting you go, he leaned down and pressed a kiss on the tip of your index finger, then sucked it into his mouth and let his tongue curl around the digit. He never looked away from your face, relishing how your cheeks heated up and your breath caught in your throat. Your eyes stayed fixated on his lips. “You’re beautiful, you know that?” he murmured around your finger, then bit down gently.  
  
You made a soft sound of want and broke his hold on you to shift closer and settle in his lap. Hands pressed against his chest to stabilise yourself. “You’re such a cheesy dork, did you know _that_ ,” you teased, but your eyes were filled with affection.  
  
Iwaizumi just smiled at you, one hand resting on your hip, the other reaching up to brush a stray hair out of your face. Then he cupped your cheek and guided you forward into a hungry kiss. The way you eagerly sucked on his tongue was almost enough to distract Iwaizumi from your hiked-up skirt, revealing a tantalising amount of skin. He got lost in the scent of your perfume, in the way your fingers scratched over his shirt. The feeling of your weight resting on his lap was strangely reassuring, an affirmation of the reality of the situation.  
  
You ran your fingers through his hair, tugging at the short locks when Iwaizumi trailed a hand from the edge of your sock, over your bare thigh, until he slipped underneath the skirt. Your skin was smooth and warm to touch, and he swallowed the soft whine you let out when he brushed against the edge of your underwear.  
  
Up until now Iwaizumi had experienced every moment with you as something surreal, a strange and sudden new presence in his life that threatened to dart away at every second, that somehow did not quite fit in with his regular life. Even while he toyed with the material of your panties, fingers playing over the curve of your rear, he felt unusually grounded. Every touch, every sensation, was somehow sharper, more intense, piercing through the cloud of pleasure that started to fog up his brain.  
  
You moaned into his mouth, rolling your hips against him. He shivered as you grazed your nails over his neck, down to his shoulders where they scraped against his shirt.  
  
Breaking the kiss, Iwaizumi murmured your name and traced his thumb over your bottom lip. Almost in reverence he studied your face, how your eyes glazed over and your nose scrunched a little with every roll of your hips. Your grip on his clothes tightened momentarily, then your hands slid down further.  
  
Iwaizumi groaned and let his head fall back when your deft fingers undid his pants, pulling down the zipper far enough to cup the bulge underneath his boxers. A mischievous grin played on your lips as you leaned forward to nip at his ear. “Please allow me,” you purred, then slid off his lap and nestled between his legs.  
  
Iwaizumi’s breath increased rapidly and he bit his lip as you took off his socks and tugged down his jeans further. One hand bunched up his shirt so you could press soft kisses on his abdomen, your tongue darting out to tease the rippling muscles. You glanced up when he stammered your name, your thumbs slipping inside the waistband of his underwear. “H-hey,” he said, fighting to keep his words straight, “only if you want to.”  
  
He half-expected you to respond with a teasing remark, but you pulled down his boxers far enough to release his half-hard cock from its confines. “Trust me, I do,” you said in nothing more than a whisper as you gazed in fascination. The look on your face sent a jolt straight to his groin, the subconscious licking of your lips as you stared at him with unabashed hunger in your eyes.  
  
Deciding where to put his hands was a struggle for Iwaizumi, itching to palm at your hair but worried to come off as disrespectful. Instead he rested them on his legs, fingers clenched into tight fists as he watched you lean forward. Somehow it was still unexpected when you drew your tongue over his length, from base to tip. He let out a choked grunt, his hands quickly clutching onto his knees instead.  
  
You peeked up at him as you pressed a soft kiss on the head, then gave it slow kitten licks. Iwaizumi inhaled sharply, biting down hard on his lip. He couldn’t help the blush on his cheeks as his eyes met yours, your nails grazing over his stomach. Then your eyes fluttered shut and your lips closed around his cock. Iwaizumi cursed and his hips twitched, almost bucking up. His chest heaved as you bobbed up and down at a slow pace, one of your hands exploring underneath his shirt to find the expanse of his chest. You looked up again at the same moment that your other hand wrapped around his cock, pumping his length while your tongue focused on the head.  
  
“F- fuck, _ngh_ ,” Iwaizumi hissed, offering up your name alongside grunted swears. He found himself unable to look away, your eyes holding him captive. His fingers threaded through your hair now, trying to be gentle as he brushed the strands behind your ear - but the way you sucked and teased him made this difficult. Soon he was so sensitive that even a light flick of your tongue against his slit made him throb, and he let out a strangled groan when you hummed around him.  
  
Though you seemed intent on sending him over that edge, Iwaizumi tugged at your hair when he felt himself coming too close. His cock twitched when your lips released him, and he groaned at the sight of a small trail of saliva connecting your lips to the head.  
  
“Thanks,” he said, his breathing laboured as he could feel the wave of pleasure recede again. “That was.. yeah.”  
  
You crawled back into his lap, and the sight of you made that aching sensation of pleasure flow straight back to his cock. Your cheeks were flushed red, lips swollen and curled into an impish smile. Iwaizumi eyed your clothes, concluding that your fully dressed state needed to be changed soon. He played with the edge of your socks while you leaned forward to put a swift peck on the corner of his lips. “I have condoms in my bedroom,” you said, then pressed an open-mouthed kiss on his neck, right over the pulsing vein that betrayed his racing heartbeat.  
  
He cupped your cheek and pulled you into a hard kiss, his free arm gathering you closer to him. “Hang on,” he said, nuzzling your noses together, then readjusted his grip on you and shifted his weight to the edge of the couch. You let out a squeal of laughter and wrapped your legs around his waist when he stood up, lifting you with him.  
  
“Holy shit, guess these aren’t just for show,” you teased, fingers curling around his biceps. However, despite your light-hearted words he could tell how much this turned you on; he felt the way your thighs squeezed around him, saw that unmistakable smoulder in your eyes as you directed him to the bedroom.  
  
Iwaizumi barely remembered how he got there, too preoccupied by your lips on his jawline, the little nips at his skin. He did recall sitting down on the bed, letting himself fall back and pulling you with him. His fingers tangled in your hair, drawing you into a feverish kiss. You moaned when he roughly shoved his tongue inside, your hands splayed over his bare chest to balance yourself - when had his shirt gotten off? Or your blouse been unbuttoned? _Ah nevermind_ , he told himself, instead focusing on pulling more clothes off you. He lingered on your bra, fingering the lacy texture and brushing his thumb over a nipple.  
  
You moaned and pressed your hips down, trying to find the friction you craved. He grunted in response, bucking up to make you bounce in his lap, an enticing preview of what was to come.  
  
It was not until he fumbled for a second with the clasp of your bra that Iwaizumi truly realised how nervous he was. Good nerves, the kind you needed before an exam or prosecution, but his hands still shook a little as he removed the garment.  
  
To his delight, you blushed under his intense stare when the bra fell away and he moved his hands back to the front, thumbs brushing against the underside of your breast. You arched your back when he teased your nipples, rolling your hips into his with a slow, insistent motion. He bit his lip as his cock throbbed, painfully aware that he should not draw this out for much longer. With that in mind, you both made quick work of the rest of the clothes - except for those damned socks of yours. You smirked when you realised Iwaizumi wanted you to keep them on. “I thought you might like those,” you purred, hands rubbing up and down his chest.  
  
“You’re gorgeous,” he said, smiling up at you.  
  
“Not so bad yourself,” you said in a murmur, leaning down to press a quick kiss on his lips and then moving to grab a condom from the nightstand.  
  
Iwaizumi shifted himself a little further on the bed, then impatiently pulled you back into his lap as soon as you found the rubber.  
  
“So eager,” you crooned. Despite your teasing, you seemed just as keen as he was, quickly tearing open the packaging and rolling the condom over his length. Iwaizumi’s breath quickened and his thighs twitched at the feeling of your fingers carefully brushing over him, but he still took the opportunity first to reach down and slide his fingers through your folds. His digits were met by heat and your wet arousal. He couldn’t help the toothy grin when your head dropped and you let out a whiny moan at his touch.  
  
Iwaizumi’s head clouded up from all the things he wanted to do. He wanted to keep teasing you, all night long until you were a writhing mess above him. Part of him also itched to flip you over and pound into you, using every muscle in his body to ensure you didn’t walk for a week. He looked up at you, at your knitted brows as you moved into his touch, but eyes wide open and fogged with pleasure, staring back at him.  
  
Groaning, Iwaizumi settled his hands on your hips and helped you lower down on him, unable to wait even a second longer to be inside you. There was always time later for those other things.  
  
A drawn-out, low moan escaped you as Iwaizumi filled you. Your walls throbbed around him, and he grit his teeth at the barrage of new sensations.  
  
You cursed softly and grabbed hold of his wrists, anchoring yourself as you started to move. Shallow thrusts at first, to help yourself adjust to the stretch. Iwaizumi’s hands slowly relocated to your ass, fingers digging into the soft skin. He forced his hips to stay still for now, letting you find your rhythm first - but your whimpered moans tested his self-control to the limit.  
  
Soon you started to move faster, pressing your hands on his shoulders instead for leverage. Eagerly you rocked your hips against him, mouth hanging slack when you found an angle that dragged your clit against his abdomen. “Shit, Hajime,” you gasped, digging your nails into his skin.  
  
Iwaizumi smirked and bucked his hips, eagerly drinking up the high-pitched moan you released. He matched your rhythm, driving himself deeper inside you with every thrust.  
  
You let your head fall back and whimpered when Iwaizumi’s hands roamed over your skin; having his hands free was a definite upside to this position. He traced his fingers up your spine, palmed your breasts and watched in fascination how your body quivered underneath his touch. The whimper of his name was like a drug, just making him hungry for more.  
  
His next thrust almost lifted your knees off the bed, and he quickly put a hand on your waist to stabilise you. The other slipped between your legs, determined to draw more of those addicting sounds out of you.  
  
“H- Hajime, please, I-” You bit your lip, but a garbled moan still spilled out when Iwaizumi found your clit. He pressed his thumb against the nub and then held still, allowing you to control the stimulation with your thrusts.  
  
Iwaizumi could see you unravel further with every roll of your hips, your movement turning frantic as you sought for release. Focusing on you helped him stave off his own orgasm, to ignore the sharp spikes of heat that your actions sent through his abdomen. Your rhythm became less controlled, and you whimpered continuously, arms shaking with tension. Iwaizumi hissed as he felt your walls clench around him, and he knew you could not be far off. “How does it feel?” he said in a low rasp, his fingers digging into your hip. “Feel good?”  
  
“God, Hajime,” you whimpered, thighs shaking around him. “I- I can’t I-” Every word was a stammer, evidence of your imminent climax.  
  
He grunted at the sound, bucking up with renewed energy. “Come,” he growled, and as though you had been waiting for him to say something, the tension in your body suddenly snapped and you cried out. Your hips stuttered, physically torn between wanting to ride through the wave of pleasure and avoiding over-stimulation. Iwaizumi held you tightly with both hands, driving your hips down on him as he worked himself towards his own climax. Your arms crumpled and you buried your face in the crook of his neck, biting down hard as Iwaizumi fucked you through your orgasm, until he could feel that surge of pleasure shooting through him.  
  
His hips bucked upward once, twice more as his mind blanked out, a sense of euphoria washing over him.  
  
There was no sound in the bedroom except for heavy panting as you and Iwaizumi recovered. You slid off him, dropping on your back as you lay on the sheets, looking thoroughly fucked.  
  
Iwaizumi smiled at the dazed look in your eyes, the rise and fall of your chest as you breathed hard. He could watch at you like this for hours, he knew that with a certainty that almost scared him. But as the frenzied bliss of his orgasm faded away, Iwaizumi settled back into the harsh reality. He groaned and forced himself to roll over towards you, nuzzling against your shoulder.  
  
“I can’t stay over, dammit,” he said, the bite of frustration evident in his voice. “Got work tomorrow.” And there was no way he could face his colleagues wearing the same clothes as today, not with Oikawa there who would instantly know what had happened. The day would be a long, horrible nightmare of jokes and nagging. Hanamaki had been bad enough when he just _thought_ Iwaizumi slept with you, who knew what would be unleashed with confirmation.  
  
Slowly you moved an arm to put around his shoulder, your nails grazing the nape of his neck. “I get it,” you murmured, “it’s okay.”  
  
Despite his words, somehow Iwaizumi found himself kissing you instead of getting dressed. His lips moved against yours slowly, sluggish but intense. You smiled when he broke away and you started speaking in an even voice that somehow still teased him.  
  
“You can go, you don’t have to sleep here,” you said, the last word transforming into a soft moan when Iwaizumi reached down to press open-mouthed kisses on your chest. “You can go home.” He traced further down, dipping his tongue in your navel. Your breath hitched, a soft tremor going through your body. “Entirely up to you.”  
  
With a sigh of regret, Iwaizumi managed to tear himself away. You both sat upright and you brushed your fingers over his jawline to pull him in for a final kiss. You put on a bathrobe and helped him find his clothes. It was quiet, as though both needed a moment to process what just happened. Once Iwaizumi was fully dressed and standing at the doorway, he rubbed the back of his head and gave you an awkward, but happy smile.  
  
“Seriously, I’m sorry I can’t stay,” he said, feeling his cheeks heat up. Every single thing he knew about treating women like a gentleman protested against leaving, but he would never have enough time in the morning to go back to his home to change and get his things.  
  
Grinning, you shook your head. “Seriously, don’t worry about it. Just...” You wavered for a second, then took his face in your hands and kissed him deeply, your tongue massaging against his and your body pressing up to him.  
  
It threatened to reawaken every nerve in his body, and Iwaizumi realised he needed to leave or give into the feeling. After a short internal battle, Iwaizumi pulled away. He brushed a sweaty strand of hair out of your eye, then gently kissed your forehead. “Goodnight,” he murmured, his lips lingering over your skin. “Let’s do dinner again soon, okay? You promised to cook for me this time, don’t think I’ve forgotten.”  
  
You giggled, a light sound that caused Iwaizumi’s stomach to do flips. “I haven’t, don’t worry,” you said, and gave him a heated look that spoke of many promises for the future.  
  
Iwaizumi was grateful for how much the temperature outside had cooled down as he made his way home - and still he suspected he needed to take a cold shower at home before having any chance at being able to sleep.

* * *

Hanamaki’s head was groggy, unable to figure out why he had woken up. Next to him, Matsukawa groaned and tightened his arms around him, but stayed asleep. He blinked into the darkness of their bedroom, then shrugged and wiggled deeper into Matsukawa’s hold and tried to fall back to sleep.  
  
That was when his phone buzzed again.  
  
“What the hell,” he muttered sleepily, and reached out to grab it. He saw your name on the screen and stared at it in confusion. “What the _hell_?”  
  
Still, if you were calling in the middle of the night, Hanamaki would always pick up. He put the phone to his ear and wondered if you were drunk. It had been a long time since you’d last drunk dialled him. Part of him kind of missed it.  
  
“The fuck, (Name)?” Silence stretched out on the other hand of the line, and Hanamaki frowned, suddenly getting worried. “Hey, are you alright?” Damn, had something happened?  
  
_“Oh god I’m so sorry I woke you up, Makki,”_ your voice suddenly came out, frantic but with a hint of excitement. “ _Oh dammit I have shit to tell you but I can’t tell you! Dammit you work with him, I can’t do that to him! Again so sorry, Makki, sorry I woke you up, I should've thought this through before calling, sorry but please have a good sleep okay!”  
  
_ And with that, the call ended and you were gone.  
  
Hanamaki gave his phone a foul look, unable to decide if he was more pissed about being woken up or for missing out on what sounded like some grade A gossip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooooo... hope you enjoyed! <3


	9. INTERLUDE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short unplanned interlude chapter because the last couple of days I haven't had the mental fortitude for angst and just really needed some gen silliness of childhood friends being little shits at each other. But as I was writing I managed to work in some things that needed to be mentioned anyway lmao so fun how that turns out. This chapter is out of chronological order because I'm a mess, takes place the day before the planetarium 'date'.
> 
> Will try to reply to comments soon, thank you all for being so amazing and supportive <3

**One day earlier**

“Huh, that’s pretty.”  
  
“Oh my god, Makki, don’t sound so surprised. It’s insulting.”  
  
“What’s insulting is your taste.”  
  
“Ouch! Don’t push it, don’t think I’m below picking something atrocious just to spite you.”  
  
“Oh, trust me, I know exactly what kind cruelty you are capable of.”  
  
Still, Makki extended his hand and you started painting his nails with care. Meticulously you applied the pastel blue polish, humming an off-key tune. You both lay on the king-sized bed in Hanamaki and Matsukawa’s bedroom, propped up on elbows with feet dangling in the air. Hanamaki used his free hand to reach into a bag of crisps, and the whole scene was eerily similar to lazy weekends back in high school.  
  
“Hey, give me one,” you said, nudging with your chin. Both your hands were occupied, one holding the brush, the other keeping Hanamaki steady. You switched colours after finishing the thumb, going for a lilac hue for the index finger.  
  
“No you’re been gorging yourself on them. Leave some for me.”  
  
You stopped your work and pouted at Hanamaki. “Let me liiiiiive,” you whined. “You _know_ I can’t eat them once I’m stuck on that station!”  
  
Hanamaki rolled his eyes. “Yeah. No crumbs. Who came up with that stupid idea anyway?”  
  
“The lack of gravity and a clogged ventilation system did,” you said, as though you hadn’t explained a thousand times how floating crumbs tended to create a problem in the long term. You took out a soft pink pastel colour for the middle finger. “Hmmm... let’s do this one, too.”  
  
“Right,” Hanamaki said, giving you a deadpan look. “Still no excuse for you to eat all the snacks, you glutton.” He grabbed another chip and demonstratively put it in his mouth, the motion slow and drawn out.  
  
“You’re just a lazy ass,” you said, putting the brush back for a moment to reach out for the snacks yourself. “An ungrateful butt who doesn’t want anything good for his precious friend.”  
  
He gave you a toothy grin. “Just looking out for you. Anyway, I heard through the grapevine that you’re taking out two guys tomorrow. What’s up with that?”  
  
“You mean you saw Oikawa post about it on twitter? It’s not exactly a state secret, you bum.”  
  
“Whatever,” he sniffed, poking your nose. “So what’s the deal? You’re not thinking about seducing him too, are you? Because then you leave me no choice but to brutally remind you that he rejected you already.”  
  
“Ha! I can see it already, like some kind of femme fatale sweeping through the galax- wait, what? When?” You blinked at Hanamaki in confusion.  
  
Hanamaki frowned. “Oh, I didn’t tell you? Could’ve sworn.. Okay, that blind date I was so kind to set up for you? Was supposed to be with Oikawa, but he refused. Broke my heart, like yours must be breaking right now.”  
  
“Huh.” Mulling over this piece of new information, you continued to the next nail, switching back to the lilac polish. “That’s a strange thought.”  
  
“To be fair, if I’d known that he’s such a fanboy of you, I probably wouldn’t have asked him at all. Talk about awkward.”  
  
“Aww, he’s not that bad!”  
  
“Oh please, you saw the look on his face when you first walked into the office, right? I’m still surprised he didn’t ask you for an autograph or picture.”  
  
Conversation quieted down for a bit while you moved on to Hanamaki’s pinkie finger, getting out the pastel blue again. Hanamaki watched you closely, trying to read your expression.  
  
“Hey,” he said, nudging his chin up to get your attention.  
  
“Hm?”  
  
He grinned at you, that specific curl of his lips that warned you he had found another joke or pun to (hopefully) shock and amaze you with. “Why did the singularity expand?”  
  
“It needed more space,” you answered without skipping a beat, then chuckled. “Seriously, Makki, I take personal offence that you thought I didn’t know that one! Definitely one of the all-time worst.”  
  
“Hey, not my fault that you massively lowered my expectations when you didn’t know the crazy spaceman joke.”  
  
You made an equivocal noise and shrugged. “Done,” you said, releasing Hanamaki’s left hand and taking the right instead. “Supposed to be quick-drying stuff, so it shouldn’t take long.” The silence returned, and Hanamaki tried to read your expression.  
  
“Okay, seriously did I make things weird with Oikawa?” he asked, cocking his head to the side. “Sorry if I shouldn’t have told you.”  
  
“Nah, it’s fine,” you said with a shake of your head. “Maybe if you had told me earlier but now-” You cut yourself off, then squinted at Hanamaki with pursed lips. “Hey, is this your sneaky way of prying?”  
  
Hanamaki chortled. “No, but really I don’t know why you still insist on this whole charade. You always cave in at the end and overshare all the gross details with me. Your struggle to keep secrets is one of futility, doomed to failure.”  
  
“Oh, shut up,” you laughed, nabbing a chip before coating Hanamaki’s thumb nail with pastel pink. “Don’t pretend like you don’t get pissed when I keep them from you.”  
  
He arched his eyebrow. “I don’t mind as long as you don’t tell them to Hana first,” he said. “...wait, you haven’t told her anything yet, right? I refuse to lose to her again, once was more than enough.”  
  
His affronted tone made you smile. “Haven’t been able to meet up with her yet, she’s even more swamped with work than I am! But next week she’s in the area so maybe...” You grinned at him. “Maybe you’ll lose again, who knows.”  
  
“Oh? Do you _want_ my help picking an outfit for tomorrow or not?”  
  
“Actually, no, got it sorted out already,” you said with a huff, and started on the final nail. “Yes I have a picture, no you can’t see. I know you, you’ll just talk shit about it.”  
  
“I’m hurt,” he said in a morbid voice, “all I want is for you to look your best.”  
  
“Right, like when you won’t let me eat chips even if you know I’ll be deprived of them for six months. Okay, done.”  
  
You let Hanamaki’s hand go and he admired your handiwork, letting out a low whistle. “Hey, you’ve gotten better at this,” he said. “All that dexterity training they make you do is good for something after all.”  
  
“Yeah, so you better let them dry properly! I’ll kick your ass if you mess it up.”  
  
“Oh? Sounds like I walked in at the right time.” Matsukawa poked his head around the doorway, then sauntered in and plopped down on the bed. “You kids play nice, okay.”  
  
A wide smile broke out on your face. “Hey, Mattsun! Want to see what I’m wearing tomorrow?”  
  
Hanamaki made an indignant sound while you fished out your phone and looked up the picture. “So you won’t let me see but you’ll show the guy who’s willing to wear zip-off trousers? Oh god, and I thought we were friends.”  
  
Simply ignoring his boyfriend, Matsukawa looked at the picture. “Cute socks.”  
  
Somehow Hanamaki had managed to shift over so he could see the screen of your phone. “ _Those_ socks?” he said, voice dripping with disapproval.  
  
“See, this is why I don’t ask you!”  
  
“I think they look lovely on you,” Matsukawa said in a calm voice and smirked at Hanamaki when you gave him a grateful peck on the cheek. Hanamaki always took threats to his status as your best friend very seriously, something Matsukawa thoroughly enjoyed.  
  
“That’s not the problem,” Hanamaki muttered.  
  
You rolled your eyes. “Damn, Makki, when did you become my mum?”  
  
“Just trying to protect you, sweetie.”  
  
Matsukawa picked up the bag of crisps and ate slowly, watching you two squabble with moderate interest. “Protect her from the guys you tried to set her up with?”  
  
“Look, we’ve all been at that point in our lives where we realise we need to rethink every single action we’ve taken up so far.”  
  
“Gotta love it when you flip the switch from Overambitious Wingman to Overbearing Mum,” you said with a sigh and ruffled his hair, quickly retreating when Hanamaki tried to shove you off. “Oi, watch your nails! Don’t let my hard work go to waste!”  
  
Hanamaki froze, then gave you a foul look. “They will dry, and then I will kick your ass.”  
  
“Come on and try me, you creampuff.”  
  
“You know, you say that, and you think you’re insulting me, but I will take that as the highest compliment.”  
  
“...flat creampuff.”  
  
He twitched, fingers itching to give you physical retribution in the form of a noogie, but unable to. Matsukawa chuckled and stood up, leaving an almost depleted bag of crisps behind. He shuffled out of the bedroom before either of you could notice. Hey, as far as Matsukawa was concerned, he did you both a favour. Someone had to sacrifice themselves to be your common enemy. Eating a bunch of chips was a price he paid willingly to keep the peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading, hope you all are okay *hugs*


	10. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait, I hope the next one won’t take me as long <3
> 
> I tried to keep the law aspect faithful to how things would go in Japan, but while finding general information about court was doable, tbh I found it difficult to find specifics on how family law outside of divorce cases. So I tried, but it’s probably kind of a weird mish-mash of information pulled from all sorts of sources and countries. I think this is the first chapter where you get a taste of that, sorry about any unintended misinformation!
> 
> (...I mean, not that I think anyone is here for learning accurate facts about how this stuff is handled in Japan, but still)
> 
> Without further ado, I present to you; the chapter that almost broke me! Enjoy!

In many ways, Iwaizumi’s Monday morning was no different from any other. However, he noticed a couple of significant contrasting details. For one, he almost arrived late at work because he kept spacing out at breakfast, thinking about the night before. The memories of you, of the sight of you in his lap, your warm touch on his skin, they proved to be thoroughly distracting.  
  
Then there was the trial, waiting for him on Friday. Without a weekend between him and the date, it seemed all the more closer. Today, and the rest of the week, lined itself up to be filled with frantic deadlines and potentially hours of overtime.  
  
...Well alright, maybe that last bit was not so different from usual.  
  
Still, being so near to closing a court case brought its own kind of pressure. By now Iwaizumi had gone through enough to know how to handle it, but he never got quite used to knowing how much his actions in this situation could influence a family’s life. Didn’t want to.  
  
“Good morning,” Hanamaki said as Iwaizumi walked in the office, his words distorted as he tried to talk through a yawn.  
  
Oikawa echoed the greeting far more cheerfully, though he already had his nose in some files and barely even looked up from them. “Iwa-chan, you’re barely on time. Seems like you had a little too much fun last night~”  
  
Freezing at the jibe, Iwaizumi quickly glanced at Hanamaki to check his response. _Crap_ , that definitely was a suspicious look. Without thinking, Iwaizumi resorted to his knee-jerk reaction. “I don’t know, you were there for most of it,” he said with a shrug. “That kind of put a damper on things.”  
  
“Oh, you’re just jealous I get along so well with (Name)-chan,” Oikawa said, grinning as he grabbed a couple of markers in various colours.  
  
Hanamaki shook his head and continued with his paperwork, too distracted to even take the conversation in. The lack of interest in banter was a little atypical, but Iwaizumi chalked it up to stress for getting everything finished in time. Besides, he should not push his luck; if Hanamaki was too preoccupied to interrogate Iwaizumi about his love life, that was just fine.  
  
So instead, Iwaizumi gave Oikawa a critical look.  
  
Oikawa hummed to himself, cheerfully marking the whiteboard with a rough layout for how they should structure their case. It created a clear summary of what points they wanted to raise, the order they’d call in witnesses, what key questions they needed to ask.  
  
For all the world to see, Oikawa appeared to be in a good mood today, ready to tackle that last sprint to the finish line on Friday.  
  
Iwaizumi scowled. Fake. No doubt about it.  
  
 _Ah hell_. He’d have to call Oikawa out after work, didn’t he? Only the straight-forward approach worked with Oikawa, or he would dance around the issue. Iwaizumi was done with it, tired of worrying about Oikawa overworking himself at the end of every case. Yes, of course they had to push themselves to get everything done, but there was a difference between working hard and just being a headstrong idiot.  
  
“Iwa-chan, did you see the suggestions I sent you for the opening statement?” Oikawa’s smile carried a saccharine edge that made Iwaizumi’s fingers twitch in annoyance. If he noticed that Iwaizumi had been studying him, Oikawa did not let it show. “Just some little tweaks to make it flow better!”  
  
“Ah yeah, I saw them, thanks,” Iwaizumi said, pulling out the document in question. “Good points, I’ll include them in the next draft.”  
  
He already spent quite some time practising, familiarising himself with the words and letting others listen to give feedback on his delivery and mannerisms. Kindaichi had helped a lot with background information on the lay judges, so Iwaizumi knew what kind of people he would be facing and needed to convince.  
  
“Hanamaki, do you have time today to go through it with me?” Iwaizumi asked, not even pausing as he edited.  
  
“Hm? The legal content of that is finalised, right? Or are you having second thoughts about it?” Last week Iwaizumi had asked him the same exact thing, and gotten a comment about _aw yes, free pass at trash talk you_ flung at his head. It spoke of how much pressure had risen that Hanamaki stayed serious this time.  
  
“No, that part’s good, but I’d like some more feedback on the rest.” Iwaizumi penned in another edit in the opening statement to improve the flow, then turned back to Oikawa. “Did you send Kuroo the updates yet?”  
  
Oikawa rolled his eyes. “You always turn into such a worry-wart, Iwa-chan. Of course I did, it’s taken care of. He said he’d get back to me tomorrow.”  
  
“Sorry. How about the court house? Have they confirmed access to a separate room for Katsu?”  
  
“Still waiting,” Hanamaki chimed in. “Don’t worry, I’ll give them a call if I don’t hear anything before lunch.”  
  
Law allowed for underaged kids involved in a sexual or violent crime to be questioned from a separate room, using a video link so they did not have to face the defendant. Considering this whole case had been tipped off by a teacher discovering strange bruisings on Katsu’s arms, that gave enough grounds for this kind of arrangement. In certain situations, they even could let an intermediary ask the questions rather than a lawyer.  
  
As a social worker, Kuroo often took the role of that intermediary. This time it had been deemed unnecessary, so his role was restricted to making sure that Katsu came to the trial, calm and prepared. However, they wouldn’t practise the actual questioning; a child with an obviously rehearsed story never went down well with the judges.  
  
The team had enough work to preoccupy Iwaizumi to a point that he forgot about everything else, even certain events that had transpired earlier that weekend - that is, until his phone buzzed right as their lunch break started.  
  
Iwaizumi was convinced he kept his face perfectly composed when he saw your name, even though he inwardly smiled at the fact you knew the start of his lunchtime (his brain ignored the fact you probably already knew ages ago because of Hanamaki). However, something must have showed on his face because Hanamaki gave him a suspicious look.  
  
“Is that her?” Hanamaki flat-out asked, never one for subtlety.  
  
For a second, Iwaizumi froze. Then he pulled himself together; if Hanamaki knew, he knew, and there was nothing Iwaizumi could do about it. However, if he _didn’t_ , Iwaizumi could only give himself away.  
  
“Yeah,” he answered simply. He told himself he was being ridiculous. You and him were both consenting adults, the fact that you had sex should not be a big deal - but somehow Iwaizumi felt as though openly discussing it with Hanamaki would be almost as embarrassing as talking about it with your father (or an overly protective brother). The scrutinising look Hanamaki gave him did not help.  
  
“Everything okay with you two?” Hanamaki said in the tone of someone who knew something was up.  
  
Oikawa huffed and swirled around to leave. “Okay, I don’t have to stay here to listen to any relationship drama,” said the man who once literally snacked on popcorn while he watched Matsukawa and Hanamaki argue back in law school.  
  
That left Iwaizumi by himself with Hanamaki, and he seriously considered to just ignore the question and head to the cafeteria, too. Oikawa always did accuse him of being selectively deaf, might as well own up to the reputation. But before he had the chance to put this plan into actual motion, Hanamaki made a small ‘eh’ sound and paced after Oikawa, leaving Iwaizumi alone in the workroom to blink in confusion.  
  
Not one to question a lucky break, Iwaizumi shrugged and got out his bento for a blessedly peaceful lunch.  
  
The rest of the day went back with relatively few interruptions, simply focused on pulling all the loose fragments of information together into a comprehensive case they could present. As usual this close to a court date, everyone worked overtime. Hanamaki even wrangled Matsukawa into making copies and get more coffee when the unsuspecting boyfriend poked his head around the corner to see if Hanamaki was ready to go yet. However, eventually they wrapped up today’s business - that is, Hanamaki and Iwaizumi did.  
  
“Shittykawa, you’re done for today, too,” Iwaizumi said, snatching a pen out of Oikawa’s hands.  
  
Oikawa tried to make a grab for it, and scowled when he failed. The stubborn expression on his face was easy to read; he wanted to just take a different pen and continue. However, they both knew Iwaizumi was prepared to play this game for a long time, and Oikawa’s patience always reached its limit before his.  
  
“Listen to your mother, Oikawa,” Hanamaki drawled, buttoning up his jacket. He looped an arm around Matsukawa and dragged him away, eager to end his workday. “See you guys tomorrow.”  
  
Just out of spite, Oikawa had gotten out a spare pen and continued to make annotations on his outline.  
  
With a deep sigh, Iwaizumi crossed his arms and leaned against the desk. “Hey,” he said, and something in his voice made Oikawa look up from his work. “About yesterday. Thanks for keeping quiet about the, um” - an unwelcome redness made itself at home on Iwaizumi’s cheeks - “the... Christmas incident.”  
  
Oikawa’s guard lowered an inch at the unexpected change of subject. He snorted and waved an airy hand. “Unlike you, I save the best stories for later. It’s called a build-up.”  
  
Iwaizumi shrugged. “Whatever. So what the hell is up with you lately?”  
  
“Hm? We’re all under pressure, why are you singling me out? Aahhhh, Iwa-chan, you really do care~” Oikawa said in sing-song, smiling guilefully at Iwaizumi.  
  
An evasive answer.  
  
Great.  
  
Iwaizumi’s brow furrowed in disgruntlement. Dammit, just like Oikawa to fall back into old habits.  
  
Whenever a deadline came up, it always became more difficult to make a judgement call on whether someone was pushing themselves as hard as they needed to get everything done, or being unnecessarily unhealthy for themselves in the most dumbass way. As far as Iwaizumi was concerned, that ambiguous response confirmed it; Oikawa was at it again.  
  
“I’m singling you out because you’re the _idiot_ who tries to do everything alone!”  
  
Oikawa’s bewildered look only pissed Iwaizumi off more.  
  
“Rely on the rest of us a little more, will you? I can’t believe you’re still pulling this shit.” Iwaizumi started to have trouble keeping his voice down. Trying to take on everything during group assignments back in law school was one thing, but at a professional firm? With a team that worked together for over a year now - and knew each other far longer? This was ridiculous. “You’re no good to anyone if you burn yourself out!”  
  
Usually when Iwaizumi had to pull Oikawa back from a path that headed straight towards self-destruction, his anger ignited something inside Oikawa, made him lash out and finally vent about all the reasons for his stress. Which pretty much was Iwaizumi’s intention; Oikawa always got stuck inside his head, and if this crude way was the best solution to unravel his thoughts, Iwaizumi would use it.  
  
When the expected explosion of anger stayed out, Iwaizumi frowned. No teary-eyed, dramatic reaction, either. No ugly crying. A coldness emanated from Oikawa that Iwaizumi had not seen since that Ushiwaka-guy beat him on all midterm final scores. A single eyebrow arched up, enforcing the haughty, controlled expression on his face.  
  
Honestly, the expression made Iwaizumi want to headbutt Oikawa straight on the nose.  
  
And not that long ago, he probably would have. However, Iwaizumi liked to think he had outgrown using physical force as a means to herd Oikawa into healthy behaviour. Instead he sighed and whapped Oikawa on the head (which totally did not count as physical force).  
  
“Let’s get out of here, I’ll make you dinner,” he grunted, reaching out a hand to drag Oikawa out of his desk chair (again, didn’t count). “I won’t let you work yourself to the ground just because you’re freaked out about a case.”  
  
Oikawa finally snapped into motion and yanked his arm away from Iwaizumi. His eyes burned with anger - but the icy kind, like frosted metal catching the exposed skin of bare fingers. He stood up, and suddenly their faces were very close, glaring at each other.  
  
“I’m getting really tired of you always making assumptions, Iwa-chan~” Oikawa drawled, rolling his eyes as he started throwing his stuff into his work bag.  
  
“Don’t have much of a choice when you won’t tell me what the hell’s going on,” Iwaizumi said, vaguely aware that his voice started to skirt into ‘yelling’ territory. “So if it’s not work, why are you being a lame mess?”  
  
Instead of answering the question, Oikawa grabbed his coat and gave Iwaizumi a final flat stare before leaving.  
  
Silence stretched, growing heavier as time passed and Iwaizumi tried to process what just happened. Finally he groaned and wondered where he had fucked up this time. Oikawa’s reaction had thrown him for a loop, not within the normal parameters of what he was used to. Then a surge of anger cut through any reasonable train of thought and Iwaizumi growled. He handled his belongings with more roughness than was wise as he got his things together, and slammed on the light switch as he left the office.  
  
Begrudgingly, he realised that at least his initial goal had been achieved; Oikawa did not work more overtime than the rest of them.

* * *

“Did your hair get a little grey since last time? I could swear that it has,” you said with a deadly serious expression on your face, brushing a strand out of Hana’s eyes.  
  
The corner of her mouth twitched. “Don’t even joke about that,” she sighed, massaging her temples. “I never should’ve accepted that promotion. Managing those boys is a bigger hassle than herding a truckload of berserk cats.”  
  
You grinned at her. “Don’t try to pull that with me, you know you love it. Besides, you’re the only one those guys listen to!”  
  
Hana huffed in exasperation. If you hadn’t known her better, you might have believed the reaction to be genuine, rather than a front to pretend she was far above their shenanigans. “Just wish they hadn’t set an espresso machine on fire first,” she murmured.  
  
“See, but that’s exactly why you are meant to have that job, nobody else could’ve talked the owner out of firing the whole shift!” One of the most important things you had learnt from Hana’s job; take care when dealing with experimental coffee blends.  
  
A small smile started to emerge on her lips. “...Probably.” She hesitated, then continued. “To be honest, it’s been pretty fun,” she said, but her face told you that she’d rather blow up that entire coffeeshop than admit it to any of the other staff. She called over a waiter to order, and after that brief interruption she turned her attention back to you. “Okay, enough about my work, how about you? Didn’t you have an interview?”  
  
You wanted to protest, eager to hear more tales about her hectic workplace, but the mere mention of that interview made you pull a face.  
  
Hana hesitant smile instantly transformed into a scowl of disapproval when she saw your expression. “Please tell me they asked about more than just your hair care regime,” she said in a flat voice.  
  
“Of course!” you said, wearing your brightest, fakest smile. “They also wanted to know if my career gets in the way of my romantic endeavours, whether I can bring make-up to the ISS and if I felt emotionally equipped to deal with my heavy, _heavy_ responsibilities~”  
  
Hana’s glower intensified, and you couldn’t help but laugh at your friend’s sympathetic indignity.  
  
“It wasn’t all bad, I mean, I knew something like this might happen so I spend a lot of time googling snappy comebacks,” you said with a proud grin. “Hajime even helped me practise my scathing looks of disapproval. Just too bad it was for a magazine, my withering scowl was camera-ready.”  
  
Slowly, Hana’s smile returned. “Well, I’m glad you have supportive colleagues,” she said, cupping her face in her hand as she leaned on her elbow.  
  
“Oh no, Hajime’s not a colleague,” you said. Though you made a valiant attempt at saying those words airily, you could feel that traitorous heat rise to your cheeks. “He is, uhh..” The words died in your throat, and you awkwardly scratched the side of your nose.  
  
“Boyfriend?” Hana’s eyes widened in surprise. When you did not instantly deny the suggestion, her eyes hardened into a stern gaze. “How long has that been going on? So much for not starting anything before you leave.”  
  
You pouted at her, painfully aware of the fact that last time you spoke in person, you had been quite firm about your intention to not date anyone in the near future. “Don’t give me that look. This is all Makki’s fault.”  
  
“It usually is.” She sighed. “That doesn’t mean you have no responsibility for your own actions, you know. So what happened?”  
  
A short explanation followed, where you told her how Hanamaki had talked you into a blind date, which had turned out far more serious than you bargained for rather than the fun, casual evening you had expected. Hana’s lips were set in a straight, thin line as she listened. However, her face softened as you spoke, slowly realising this was not the haphazard fling she initially assumed it to be. You paused when a waitress brought your order, then continued.  
  
“So yeah,” you said with a grimace, “that’s the deal. What’s the verdict? A magnificent amount of stupidity or the romantic story of a lifetime?”  
  
If anything, Hana was a friend you could rely on to be brutally honest about whether you were behaving like an idiot or not. She raised an eyebrow. “You think those two are mutually exclusive?”  
  
“I just really like him, yaknow?” You sulked and resisted the urge to flop your arms and head down on the table. “Really want this to work out.”  
  
For a moment Hana closed her eyes, clearly organising her thoughts. “Okay, you didn’t plan for this to happen, but why would it be stupid?” she said. “It’s not like everyone in your line of work is single, don’t make it sound like some unrealistic impossibility.”  
  
“Most of them have been together a little longer than us,” you said pointedly. Part of you knew you were being contrary, insistent on finding reasons why this could not work. But it was something you needed to do, so Hana could help you refute them, look for solutions or a little change of perspective to make it seem less bad than you feared.  
  
Hana knew, and she indulged.  
  
“So you’ll just have to talk to him. About what the relationship will look like while you’re away and how to deal with the inevitable roadblocks. Seriously, _talk_ ,” she repeated. “Is he a guy you can do that with?”  
  
Just thinking about Iwaizumi and his low voice made you smile. The surge of affection also made your chest heavy, growing more anxious to make this thing work. “Good point,” you admitted. “I guess I’m just nervous about being apart for so long. You know, it’ll barely have been two months when I go back to Houston. Two months. That’s really not a long time for a big investment like this. What if he changes his mind?”  
  
Hana’s mouth drew in that straight line again, giving you the feeling that if you kept this up for long she might do an all-out scolding. Out of love, of course. “Like I said, nothing you can do but talk to him about all this. I’m not kidding, if you think there’s some magical solution other than just _communicating_ , you’re flat out of luck.”  
  
Her blunt words made you fill up with warmth. That’s the Hana you knew and loved. As always, she was a willing sounding board for you, letting you speak your worries freely. Together you had found a good balance, where she got to rant about her frustrations at you in return, and you made either the appropriate sympathetic noises or helped her put things back into perspective.  
  
“You know what to do now, right?” she asked, and took a delicate sip of her drink as though she hadn’t just finished lecturing you.  
  
“Yeah, thanks,” you said, an affectionate grin on your face.  
  
Actually, one last thing was bothering you, but you felt hesitant to bring it up - even to one of your best friends. A weird sense of guilt kept bubbling up inside your stomach whenever you thought about yesterday, specifically the time you’d spent with both Iwaizumi and Oikawa.  
  
Was it weird that you’d never enjoyed yourself more than when it was the three of you? (Well... the part afterwards might have been an exception.. Probably. Definitely.) And why did this bother you so much? It shouldn’t be a big deal. In fact, it was good that you got along with Iwaizumi’s best friend, right? Those two were so close it was almost like getting the family’s approval.  
  
So why did you feel guilty whenever you thought about how much fun it’d be to go out together again? Like you were doing something wrong, that your wish somehow crossed a line. You almost felt like a bad person, as though you were doing Iwaizumi wrong - despite having zero intentions to break up with him in favour of his best friend. Quite the contrary.  
  
You steeled yourself and pushed those thoughts away. Though you were sure Hana would not judge you, and probably even call you silly for making a big deal out of it in the first place, something about this felt too private to share.  
  
Instead you smiled at Hana. “Okay, that’s enough about boys!” you said, perhaps a little too eager. “How are your parents doing, you’re in town to visit them, right?”  
  
If Hana realised you hadn’t told her everything, she respected your choice and allowed the conversation to be steered into a different direction. “You’re part of the reason too, doofus,” she chided. “Skype calls are great and all, but I had to see you at least once before you take off. We barely see each other these days.”  
  
“I blame you for moving out of town,” you said pointedly, wagging a finger at her.  
  
‘Affronted’ was too small a word to describe the expression on Hana’s face. She finally laid that lecture on you until you both burst out laughing, and then the conversation shifted to other, more everyday things.

* * *

One day later, Hanamaki groaned as he walked through the front door of his house, trying to work out a knot in his shoulder. It had been a long, awkward day at the firm and Hanamaki was relieved to be back home. Stress over impending deadlines he could handle; some kind of lover’s spat or whatever was going on between Oikawa and Iwaizumi was above Hanamaki’s pay grade.  
  
He went straight into the kitchen and dropped off his work bag somewhere along the way, then hung his arms around Matsukawa’s shoulders to slump against him. Matsukawa put down the knife he was using to chop vegetables and reached back to rest his hands on Hanamaki’s waist.  
  
“You okay?”  
  
Hanamaki let out a muffled grunt.  
  
“Ah.”  
  
Somehow, Matsukawa managed to turn around without breaking Hanamaki’s hold on him. He gently ran a hand through Hanamaki’s hair, then kissed the top of his head.  
  
“Case or colleagues?”  
  
More muffled sounds, until Hanamaki finally lifted his head and looked at Matsukawa with a pouty scowl. “Case is right on track, going as well as it could. The colleagues...”  
  
Matsukawa chuckled. “I thought they looked pissed off at lunch. The risks of working with an old married couple like them, I guess.”  
  
“Trade teams with me,” Hanamaki groaned against Matsukawa’s shoulder. He barely supported his own weight at this point, clinging onto Matsukawa, who leaned back against the kitchen counter to prevent himself from toppling over.  
  
“What, you want to turn this into a pity contest? If you think those two are a handful, wait until you spend a morning with Yahaba and Kyoutani.”  
  
“I can handle those brats.”  
  
“Maybe, but you’d never be able to handle my job,” Matsukawa said, grinning widely as he leaned in for a kiss.  
  
Hanamaki narrowed his eyes and pushed Matsukawa back with a firm hand on his chest. “Oh, fuck off,” he said, as though they hadn’t gone through this exact argument a thousand times already, “you lawyer types would be helpless without paralegals, you make us do all the work that’s too difficult for you.”  
  
“Whatever helps you sleep at night,” Matsukawa said, and went in for a second attempt.  
  
This time, Hanamaki welcomed his lips. He wrapped his hands around Matsukawa’s neck and quickly turned the kiss aggressive, invading his boyfriend’s mouth with the intensity that always followed after a verbal exchange like that. It always egged Hanamaki on, making him want to prove he held the upper hand.  
  
Once you had teased him, saying his biggest kink of all was squabbling and well, perhaps you did have something of a point. Ah, that reminded him...  
  
A little regretful, Hanamaki broke away. “How about we pick this up again later? I’m supposed to call (Name), and I’m already late.”  
  
“Hmm, I’ll get on with dinner then. Say hi to her for me.”  
  
“Love you, dumbass.”  
  
“Likewise, jerk.”  
  
Hanamaki gave a final tug on Matsukawa’s bottom lip with his teeth, then retreated to the living room. He flopped down on the floor and crawled underneath the kotatsu, more out of habit than for any warmth, since the hot summer weather still persisted.  
  
“Oi, squirt, sorry I’m late,” he said when you picked up. He lay flat on his back, staring up at the ceiling as he talked.  
  
 _“Oh, don’t worry about it. Long day?”_  
  
He groaned loudly, closing his eyes at the memory of awkwardly trying to work between Oikawa and Iwaizumi, who barely exchanged two words today. Instead they had preferred to shot angry looks at each other, and tried to have all communications go through Hanamaki and poor Kindaichi, who had no idea how to handle the passive aggressive disposition of his superiors.  
  
“Have you talked to Iwaizumi since yesterday?” Hanamaki asked, rather than answering your question.  
  
 _“Umm, we texted a bit but I didn’t get around to calling him. Since I made time for you instead!”_ Your voice became cloyingly sweet at the end. _“Why you want to know?”_ you added in a normal tone.  
  
“How nice,” Hanamaki responded flatly. “Anyway, you need to get your boyfriends in line.”  
  
 _“Hey, you need to pick a joke. You don’t get to tease me about getting rejected by Oikawa_ and _pretend I’m stringing along the both of them. You have to choose, buddy.”_  
  
Hanamaki sighed, rolling onto his side. “Not fair. As your oldest friend, I have rights, you know.”  
  
 _“Yeah, mostly the right to get trash-talked by me,”_ you said. _“And occasionally be a little shit without it ending our friendship. But uhh, what did they do?”_  
  
“Oh, just being insufferable,” Hanamaki said airily, absent-mindedly studying the nails of his free hand. “And then I mean more than usual, of course.”  
  
 _“They can’t have been worse than you.”_  
  
“Ouch.”  
  
 _“Sorry, I’ll knock it off. Anything I can do or just want to rant?”_  
  
He chuckled. “Nah, that’s fair. I was just wondering if you knew what happened between them. They were fine yesterday, but today was the worst I’ve seen them since law school.”  
  
There was a moment of silence on the line while you mulled over this new information. _“No, no idea, sorry. Sunday was kinda great, so I really wouldn’t know.”_  
  
“Ah, that’s fine, it was a slim hope anyway,” he sighed, and rolled further onto his stomach, leaning on his elbows. “Speaking of Sunday, things are going alright with you and Iwaizumi, huh?”  
  
Another moment of silence, but this time he could almost see your face scrunch up as you considered what was the best response. _“...How do you figure?”_  
  
“Well, you called me, didn’t you? I figured you’d reached that point. You don’t get to that point unless things are going really good, or it turned into an absolutely nightmare. I can’t believe you hung up on me when you were about to tell me everything! And it was the middle of the night, too!”  
  
An awkward chuckle on the other side of the line. _“Yeah, I’m sorry about that. I didn’t think it through, a little too excited I guess.”_  
  
“But about what!” Hanamaki exclaimed, throwing up his free hand in frustration. “Seriously, why did you have to hang up on me, I’m gonna lose to fucking Hana at this rate.”  
  
Your laugh was more relaxed now. _“Hey, it’s your own fault for setting me up with a colleague. It just doesn’t feel right to gossip about him with you. You really should’ve thought that one through when you set us up.”_  
  
Hanamaki groaned. “Maybe I should just get Iwaizumi fired then.”  
  
 _“Wouldn’t it be better if you quit your job? At least then HR won’t be up your ass every time Mattsun feels you up in an empty conference room.”_  
  
“...We don’t do that.”  
  
 _“Sure, of course not,”_ you said with a teasing lilt.  
  
Sighing, Hanamaki massaged his temple. “Well, bright side, at least Hana doesn’t know anything either. I guess I can survive then. Good thing she moved away.”  
  
 _“Um...”_  
  
“Oh god no. When?”  
  
 _“Yesterday.”_ You sounded a little guilty, but it was not enough to soothe Hanamaki’s pain as you eased the knife into his back and cruelly twisted the blade.  
  
“Why didn’t you tell me you had plans with her! Oh no, is this the end? The conversation marking the moment that you stopped telling me anything?” He squirmed under the kotatsu with a little whine. And he thought this day had been bad enough already.  
  
Apparently you did not feel _that_ guilty, because his dramatic words made you laugh again. _“I just thought ignorance was bliss. Kinder on you to find out afterwards than to know beforehand it was going to happen.”_ He continued to make pitiful noises, and could almost hear you roll your eyes. _“Oh, chill out, I didn’t tell her everything. You know she doesn’t like the dirty details.”_  
  
“There are dirty details? Fuck, I knew it. I knew Iwaizumi looked suspicious.”  
  
 _“Hmm, I guess you deserved that freebie,”_ you hummed. _“I do owe you for making all this happen, I guess.”_  
  
“Some recognition, finally! I was starting to feel really unappreciated, you know.”  
  
 _“Poor thing,”_ you said in a suspiciously insincere drawl. _“Forced to stay in your own lane. Must be absolutely horrible.”_  
  
“I’m glad you understand.”  
  
 _“But hey, so you have no idea what’s going on with those two?”_ you said, turning serious. _“I’m a little worried now.”_  
  
He shook his head, then remembered you couldn’t see him. “Look, they’ve gone through stuff like this before.” Granted, this was the coldest he’d seem them around each other since a good while, but he genuinely saw no cause for concern. They’d bounce back again; they always did. “I wouldn’t stress about it, it’ll be fine.”  
  
You let out a resigned sigh. _“All right, I trust you.”_ Then the tone of your voice changed again as you bounced into a more cheerful mood. _“Hey, got any new jokes for me?”_  
  
“Would I ever disappoint you? No, wait don’t answer that,” he quickly added when he realised you might have a response on stand-by that put him in an unflattering light. “Okay, so a spaceman, an alien and Elvis Presley enter a bar...”

* * *

Iwaizumi had just returned from his evening run when he heard the phone. Part of him wanted to ignore it, craving a long bath to wash off both the sweat and the frustration over dealing with a sulky Oikawa all day. However, he still checked to see who was calling, just in case it was important.  
  
When he saw the name, he swallowed thickly.  
  
Through the course of little over a month, Iwaizumi had reached many firsts with you. He kept careful track of them, wanting to enjoy every new moment to the fullest. And now, a new one. Your name stared at him from the caller ID, and for the first time he seriously considered not picking up the phone.  
  
Not because he did not want to talk to you - but because he did not want you to talk to him when he was in this kind of mood. Written messages were safer, allowing him to better control his words, filter out any potential sting that transferred over from his frustration with Oikawa. Talking to you while he was this disgruntled would be another first, and one he wasn’t sure he was ready for.  
  
His ringtone started up again, and after a long moment of hesitation he reached for his phone.  
  
“Hey,” he said, his voice strained as he accepted the call.  
  
You sounded a little hesitant, echoing the greeting. _“Just wanted to check in. You okay?”_  
  
Iwaizumi held back a groan. Great. “Hanamaki?”  
  
 _“Yeah, he tattled on you,”_ you said with a chuckle.  
  
He grabbed a towel to wipe his forehead, then took a deep breath. “I’m fine, just want to cool my head a bit before I try talking to Oikawa again.” If he tried now, Iwaizumi feared he might make things worse, considering his own irritability and Oikawa’s atypical response.  
  
 _“...Is_ he _okay?”_  
  
This time you sounded more concerned, or so Iwaizumi thought. He wondered whether he should take offence, then quietly scolded himself for being irritable. “That’s what I’m trying to figure out,” he grunted, awkwardly putting the towel around his neck with one hand. “That guy’s impossible.”  
  
You hummed. _“Want to talk about it?”_  
  
“Hm, it’s just same old,” he said. He ran a hand through his head and sighed, then decided he just wanted to put it all on the side for now. “I’d rather hear how you’re doing.”  
  
A happy little sound came through the line. _“Haa, exhausted,”_ you said, and he could hear it in your voice. _“Non-stop simulations. I mean, it’s really cool too, but I feel like I could sleep for a week now.”_  
  
Smiling, Iwaizumi could feel the stress from these last days seep away from his shoulders. “Tell me more about it.”  
  
 _“R- really?”_ you said with a sudden excitability.  
  
He knew you often tried to hold back on the subject of your work, not wanting to be the kind of person who only talked about one thing. But you clearly loved what you did, and Iwaizumi loved hearing you talk about your passions - so he gladly encouraged at any opportunity. “Yeah, really,” he said, walking over to the window. That shower to wash off his running sweat could wait. “What crazy stuff did they make you do today?”  
  
He leaned against the sill, looking outside at the darkening sky as he listened to your lively explanations about simulations for space walks and installing crazy-expensive, complicated equipment. Sometimes he barely understood half of what you were saying, but it did not matter. Your voice soothed him, distracted him from all earthly irritations and his mood cleared up further with every word and laugh.  
  
When you finally said your good nights and hung up, Iwaizumi took a deep breath and could think about tomorrow without raising his hackles. He took a quick shower and came out ready to sleep, ready to face the day that would follow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a tough cookie aaaaaaaaaa but I hope you still enjoyed! <3
> 
> My [tumblr](http://barknobite.tumblr.com)~


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